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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

In the first decade of... -- John 8:1-11 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
In the first decade of this century, a woman in a small community came to see her pastor.
She was a sinner no... -- John 8:1-11 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
She was a sinner no doubt about it. I wonder what Jesus wrote in the ground?
In 1864, a crowded train... -- John 8:1-11 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
In 1864, a crowded train was pulling away from Jersey City station when the son of President Lincoln
Harold Schonberg once described the... -- Isaiah 50:4-9a -- Passion Sunday - C
Harold Schonberg once described the vocal chords of Luciano Pavarotti as being "kissed by God." What
About thirty years ago, a... -- Isaiah 50:4-9a -- Passion Sunday - C
About thirty years ago, a strange story was reported concerning an unlettered Brazilian peasant who
A number of years ago... -- Isaiah 50:4-9a -- Passion Sunday - C
A number of years ago Khrushchev was addressing the Supreme Soviet and denouncing the brutalities of
The moral of the well... -- Isaiah 50:4-9a -- Passion Sunday - C
The moral of the well-known children's story about The Little Engine That Could is not that t
In a recent Gallup Poll... -- Deuteronomy 32:36-39 -- Passion Sunday - C
In a recent Gallup Poll, these interesting statistics are revealed about America's relationship with
Unless we think for a... -- Deuteronomy 32:36-39 -- Passion Sunday - C
Unless we think for a while, it is easy to relegate the issue of false gods as a curiously antique i
Dr. Robin Cook's novel Godplayer... -- Deuteronomy 32:36-39 -- Passion Sunday - C
Dr.
Some people think they're living... -- James 5:1-6 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B
Some people think they're living when they're really not.
James' tirade against wealthy people... -- James 5:1-6 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B
James' tirade against wealthy people is an echo of the statement by Jesus, "It is easier for a camel
One observation is very clear... -- Mark 9:38-50 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B
One observation is very clear to me: Christians tend to be cliquish.
Isaiah here does not speak... -- Isaiah 43:16-21 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
Isaiah here does not speak of the physically blind, or deaf, or dumb.
Imagine driving your car only... -- Isaiah 43:16-21 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
Imagine driving your car only looking through the rear view mirror.
In the free society of... -- Isaiah 43:16-21 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
In the free society of our time, it is very easy to rebel against any notion of a divine plan.
In our religious history, the... -- Isaiah 43:16-21 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
In our religious history, the historical people of faith resided in the desert wilderness.
John Denver made popular a... -- Philippians 3:8-14 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
John Denver made popular a song titled "On the Road." It tells about a family that didn't know who t
A text considered the earliest... -- Philippians 3:8-14 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
A text considered the earliest writing by an African American slave is entitled The Uncommon Suff
A father told his son... -- Philippians 3:8-14 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
A father told his son he should give up something for Lent as a way of remembering the sacrifice of
I looked at the group... -- Philippians 3:8-14 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
I looked at the group that I was supposed to lead up the twenty-six mile trail to the top of the Pik
Penitentiaries, reformatories. That's what we... -- Philippians 3:8-14 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C
Penitentiaries, reformatories.
When I was a seminarian... -- Jeremiah 11:18-20 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B
When I was a seminarian in the 1960s, there was much talk of "prophetic" ministry, of "putting yours
The student teacher had just... -- Jeremiah 11:18-20 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B
The student teacher had just given a lecture to beginning math students.
The day dawned coldb... -- Jeremiah 11:18-20 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B
The day dawned cold and gray along the rocky coast of Norway.

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UPCOMING WEEKS
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Proper 7 | OT 12 | Pentecost 2
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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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