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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

All they ever do at... -- Deuteronomy 26:1-11 -- Transfiguration Sunday - C
"All they ever do at that church is ask for money," Bill said.
A Scottish preacher in the... -- Romans 10:8b-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C
"A Scottish preacher in the last century who had lost his wife delivered an unusually personal sermo
After 30 years of happy... -- Romans 10:8b-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C
After 30 years of happy marriage, film star Robert Mitchum was asked what he thought had made his ma
Warren Wiersbe, in his book... -- Luke 4:1-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C
Warren Wiersbe, in his book, The Strategy of Satan, speaks about the time when Jesus was temp
In an Appalachian coal town... -- Luke 9:11-17 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
In an Appalachian coal town a single parent was asked how she kept her life on an even keel.
The London Tablet once asked... -- Luke 9:11-17 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
The London Tablet once asked the question, "Who are the happiest people on earth?" Answer: "A
Hunger is a bodily need... -- Luke 9:11-17 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Hunger is a bodily need filled by food, here bread and fish in one of Christ's miracles.
5:9-12The only thing worse then... -- Joshua -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C
5:9-12The only thing worse then not getting what you want is getting it.
The only thing worse then... -- Joshua 5:9-12 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C
The only thing worse then not getting what you want is getting it.
Gilgal means roll. How do... -- Joshua 5:9-12 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C
Gilgal means "roll." How do you roll away bad memories like Egyptian slavery?
A friend once remarked, For... -- Joshua 5:9-12 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C
A friend once remarked, "For those who seek the impossible, they might find what they are looking fo
The book Passages captured a... -- Joshua 5:9-12 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C
The book Passages captured a lot of readers by its vivid description of the many "stages" of
In a small community, the... -- Isaiah 12:1-6 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C
In a small community, the choir director was trying to find good music for the Easter celebration.
The son had been awful... -- Isaiah 12:1-6 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C
The son had been awful, no doubt about it. He had upset the whole family with unnecessary demands.
Dwight L. Moody's favorite verse... -- Isaiah 12:1-6 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C
Dwight L.
I remember reading a great... -- Isaiah 12:1-6 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C
I remember reading a great theologian of our century who said that the Creed should be always sung.
With us therefore worldly standards... -- 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C
"With us therefore worldly standards have ceased to count in our estimate of any man ..." (NEB) All
Walt Whitman's poem Reconciliation was... -- 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C
Walt Whitman's poem "Reconciliation" was penned soon after the Civil War.
Jeb Magruder was one of... -- 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C
Jeb Magruder was one of those personalities associated with the Watergate debacle during the Nixon y
Seven-year-old Manuel woke... -- 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C
Seven-year-old Manuel woke up in the middle of the night with a nightmare.
Charles Woessner shares the story... -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C
Charles Woessner shares the story of a newspaper that published an incident about the conviction of
For the word of the... -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C
"For the word of the Cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is
The novella, or short novel... -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C
The novella, or short novel, The Argentine Ant, is an excellent example of how a contemporary
A brilliant young couple received... -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C
A brilliant young couple received as their second child an infant daughter with Down's syndrome.
Describing the conditions leading up... -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C
Describing the conditions leading up to World War II, Paul Scherer describes the conditions under wh

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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
and more...
Proper 8 | OT 13 | Pentecost 3
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 9 | OT 14 | Pentecost 4
34 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

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.

Special Occasion

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