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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

A friend who held his... -- Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C
A friend who held his life together through great and relentless odds said, "I'm where I am today be
The story of the semi... -- Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C
The story of the semi-prodigal daughter crisscrosses the story of the prodigal son.
What will it profit a... -- Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C
What will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and loses his soul.
Bishop Gerald Kennedy, in his... -- Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C
Bishop Gerald Kennedy, in his book, Who Speaks For God?, reminds us that life cannot be fit i
Perhaps the thing that made... -- Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C
Perhaps the thing that made it hardest to accept Jimmy Swaggart's waywardness when he was discovered
There is a great power... -- Jeremiah 1:4-10 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
There is a great power in words.
In the recent film, Lost... -- Jeremiah 1:4-10 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
In the recent film, Lost in Translation, the character portrayed by Bill Murray is an America
If you take a walk... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
If you take a walk on the Boardwalk in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, you may discover, tucked aw
Every parent knows the frustration... -- Jeremiah 7:1-15 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Every parent knows the frustration of telling children to do something that doesn't get done.
When a certain congregation was... -- Jeremiah 7:1-7 (8-15) -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
When a certain congregation was celebrating its 100th anniversary, there was a great deal of furor a
A Christian baroness, living in... -- Jeremiah 7:1-7 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
A Christian baroness, living in the highlands of Nairobi, Kenya, told of a young national who was em
A man prospered and purchased... -- Jeremiah 7:1-7 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
A man prospered and purchased a small cabin cruiser.
In Samuel Miller's Man the... -- 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
In Samuel Miller's Man the Believer (pp.
In the mid-1800s, an... -- 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
In the mid-1800s, an African-American slave took this scripture seriously and in narratives of his e
Visiting on the beach one... -- 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Visiting on the beach one afternoon, I observed with some interest two children who were totally abs
Working with ceramics has become... -- 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Working with ceramics has become a fascinating hobby for many people.
In his Telling the Truth... -- Galatians 1:1-10 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
In his Telling the Truth, Frederick Buechner describes the preacher's routine ascent to his p
Grudgingly we have to acknowledge... -- Galatians 1:1-10 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Grudgingly we have to acknowledge Sun Myung Moon's success with young people.
Hear for a moment what... -- Galatians 1:1-10 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Hear for a moment what can only be described as pure fantasy.
How long a time lies... -- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
"How long a time lies in one little word."
The lay communion helpers for... -- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
The lay communion helpers for Pentecost Sunday were Pete and Ann.
In the dialogue of a... -- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
In the dialogue of a play, David, a male who has lost his first wife by drowning at sea, is t
When one takes words apart... -- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
When one takes words apart, one is often surprised at what is found in them!
Clovis Chappell tells about the... -- Luke 6:39-49 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Clovis Chappell tells about the cranky old Scotch minister who one day stopped to get his shoes shin
Can a blind man lead... -- Luke 6:39-49 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
"Can a blind man lead a blind man?" Jesus asked. I guess they really can, if they take turns.

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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...

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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
1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7) 8-15a
Life can be frightening sometimes. Thus it is both comforting but disconcerting to find a giant of faith like Elijah to fear the future. On that matter Martin Luther once claimed:
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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