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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

When everything else fails, why... -- Isaiah 45:21-25 -- Passion Sunday - C
"When everything else fails, why don't you try following the instructions?" asked the wife of the ma
Robert Frost touches again that... -- Isaiah 45:21-25 -- Passion Sunday - C
Robert Frost touches again that great need in us and even in God for a love that is given as a respo
The youngster was getting too... -- Isaiah 45:21-25 -- Passion Sunday - C
The youngster was getting too smart for her own good.
The Rev. Dr. Walter Boumann... -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Passion Sunday - C
The Rev. Dr.
Until the film, many people... -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Passion Sunday - C
Until the film, many people had hardly heard of Gandhi.
Up north in the Great... -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Passion Sunday - C
Up north in the Great Lakes, large numbers of lake trout once swam in the deep, cold water.
He was a retired attorney... -- Philippians 2:5-12 -- Passion Sunday - C
He was a retired attorney and judge, white hair and beard, and, to most of the world, a disti
A member of my congregation... -- Luke 22:14--23:56 -- Passion Sunday - C
A member of my congregation invited me to attend a meeting of her I Lost A Child group.
Instances of stigmata have been... -- Luke 22:14--23:56 -- Passion Sunday - C
Instances of stigmata have been documented throughout the Christian era and have been alternately re
Jesus prayed as he faced... -- Passion Sunday - C
Jesus prayed as he faced the cross, "Not my will, but thine be done." There were really two elements
In the movie The Wizard... -- Luke 22:14--23:56 -- Passion Sunday - C
In the movie The Wizard of Oz there is a scene where we observe the soldiers who guard the pa
There was a minister who... -- Jeremiah 31:31-34 -- Maundy Thursday - C
There was a minister who was trying to persuade a woman to teach a church school class.
One of the great questions... -- Jeremiah 31:31-34 -- Maundy Thursday - C
One of the great questions of life and faith is "Where is it all heading?" We wonder what the ultima
Biblical scholars are not agreed... -- Jeremiah 31:31-34 -- Maundy Thursday - C
Biblical scholars are not agreed as to whether Jesus celebrated the Passover with the disciples on T
When the clouds of discouragement... -- Jeremiah 31:31-34 -- Maundy Thursday - C
When the clouds of discouragement grew too thick for him, the aging pastor of a small congregation w
During his imprisonment in a... -- John 12:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
During his imprisonment in a Nazi concentration camp, Viktor Frankl tells about the lifelessness of
It has been rightly noted... -- John 12:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
It has been rightly noted that Christians should often do the opposite: when everyone else is celebr
Perhaps at no time has... -- John 12:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
Perhaps at no time has a society been more self-critical of its lust for affluence as our present ge
So often it is the... -- John 12:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
So often it is the small acts of extravagance that lift the world.
On the excellent television program... -- John 12:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
On the excellent television program, Hill Street Blues, was the story of three drug-crazed ju
When great civilizations begin to... -- Luke 20:9-19 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
When great civilizations begin to decline they pull in every resource to preserve themselves.
When You Care Enoughbr... -- Luke 20:9~19 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
When You Care Enoughto Send the Very Best(a story)
P. D. James, in the... -- Luke 20:9-19 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
P. D.
The young man entered the... -- Luke 20:9-19 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
The young man entered the store armed with a club and a gun.
doing in the figure of... -- Luke 20:9-19 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
"... doing in the figure of a lamb the feats of a lion

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UPCOMING WEEKS
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Proper 7 | OT 12 | Pentecost 2
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Proper 8 | OT 13 | Pentecost 3
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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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and more...
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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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