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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

A teacher asked her class... -- Acts 10:34-43 -- Easter Day - C
A teacher asked her class members to tell who they thought was the greatest living person today.
A farmer during his slack... -- Acts 10:34-43 -- Easter Day - C
A farmer during his slack season went deep-sea fishing on the Gulf of Mexico.
So long as there are... -- Exodus 15:1-11 -- Easter Day - C
So long as there are homes to which men turnAt the close of day;
Many authorities date this song... -- Exodus 15:1-11 -- Easter Day - C
Many authorities date this song of victory as one of the most ancient portions of the Bible.
Graham Greene, the English Roman... -- Exodus 15:1-11 -- Easter Day - C
Graham Greene, the English Roman Catholic novelist wrote insightfully about problems facing the chur
Two parents watched with pride... -- Exodus 15:1-11 -- Easter Day - C
Two parents watched with pride as their teenage child flawlessly performed an instrumental solo in f
Little resurrections come in all... -- 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 -- Easter Day - C
Little resurrections come in all shapes and sizes.
I believe that it was... -- 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 -- Easter Day - C
I believe that it was Reuben Youngdahl who told the story of the inactive member who returned to chu
Isaac Bashevis singer, in a... -- 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 -- Easter Day - C
Isaac Bashevis singer, in a book entitled Stories for Children, writes about the reason he wr
Sports analysts and coaches frequently... -- 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 -- Easter Day - C
Sports analysts and coaches frequently refer to "turning points" in a game.
Saint Paul, in this text... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Easter Day - C
Saint Paul, in this text, talks about the way in which one individual life has been transformed by t
Today is the celebration of... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Easter Day - C
Today is the celebration of being reminded.
While serving as Vice President... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Easter Day - C
While serving as Vice President, George Bush represented his country by attending the funeral of Leo
Marian and Paul, husband and... -- John 13:1-15 -- Maundy Thursday - C
Marian and Paul, husband and wife, cook and yardman, were fuming as they approached the place of the
There is a spirit which... -- Isaiah 52:13-53:12 -- Good Friday - C
"There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights
Maybe if I could see... -- Isaiah 52:13-53:12 -- Good Friday - C
Maybe if I could see beyondthe edge of knowledgeMaybe if I could hear
After World War I, 900... -- Isaiah 52:13-53:12 -- Good Friday - C
After World War I, 900 German soldiers who had violated international law were summoned to appear be
There is, in music, a... -- Isaiah 52:13-53:12 -- Good Friday - C
There is, in music, a marking that is not often used, one that the casual performer of music might s
Even weekend gardeners appreciate the... -- Hosea 6:1-6 -- Good Friday - C
Even weekend gardeners appreciate the role of spring and summer rains in the growth of flowers and v
For more than a year... -- Hosea 6:1-6 -- Good Friday - C
For more than a year, there has been a televangelist jousting tournament underway punctuated with mu
The greatest concentration of knowledge... -- Hosea 6:1-6 -- Good Friday - C
The greatest concentration of knowledge in the world is found in the Library of Congress.
You have only to watch... -- Hosea 6:1-6 -- Good Friday - C
You have only to watch the weather report each night to discover that some things, no matter how muc
George Nicholson writes in his... -- Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 -- Good Friday - C
George Nicholson writes in his Faith at Work about Gladys Aylward, a British woman missionary
It is indeed a triumphant... -- Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 -- Good Friday - C
It is indeed a triumphant and glorious image here: Jesus has become a great high priest, after the o
When a French army officer... -- Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 -- Good Friday - C
When a French army officer had been successfully forced into a scapegoat role by a reactionary milit

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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.

Special Occasion

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