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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

Guest column

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

The terrible thing, the most... -- Luke 6:39-49 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
"The terrible thing, the most impossible thing, is to hand over your whole self -- all your wishes a
There is a line in... -- Luke 6:39-49 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
There is a line in a popular modern Christian song that goes, "They'll know we are Christians by our
Noteworthy in Luke's account of... -- Luke 7:1-10 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Noteworthy in Luke's account of this healing is the fact that Jesus doesn't have personal contact wi
Throughout this passage, we are... -- Luke 7:1-10 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Throughout this passage, we are repeatedly shown that one's worth is not measured by an abundance of
The church office had been... -- Luke 7:1-10 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
The church office had been notified of a member's admittance to the hospital the day before, and the
After years of waiting, a... -- Luke 7:1-10 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
After years of waiting, a man was at last promoted to the position of foreman, but he soon found tha
One commentator on the prevailing... -- Luke 9:11-17 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
One commentator on the prevailing mood in the market place called the young people in business who a
Henrik Isben's drama, Rosmersholm, is... -- Romans 5:1-5 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C
Henrik Isben's drama, Rosmersholm, is a play the critics assume not everyone can appreciate.
Dear Doris,I want... -- Romans 5:1-5 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C
Dear Doris,
The former bishop had been... -- Revelation 4:1-11 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C
The former bishop had been very severe in his demeanor and curt in dismissing most speakers at confe
As they started to sing... -- Revelation 4:1-11 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C
As they started to sing the pulpit hymn, "Holy, Holy, Holy," John said to his daughter Sally, "This
What is faith? What must... -- Revelation 4:1-11 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C
What is faith? What must you believe to be saved?
If you were invited to... -- Revelation 4:1-11 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C
If you were invited to an audience with a king in a great palace, the likes of which you had never b
The search for God is... -- John 16:12-15 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C
The search for God is one that is taken in many ways.
There is a rather old... -- John 16:12-15 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C
There is a rather old story about the preacher who spent hours in preparation for her sermons.
Jesus tells us the real... -- John 16:12-15 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C
Jesus tells us the real purpose of the Bible when he says, "He (the Spirit) will glorify me, for he
How simple the test, how... -- John 16:12-15 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C
How simple the test, how great the consequences when that test has not been applied.
A cleric once bewailed the... -- Isaiah 55:10-13 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
A cleric once bewailed the fact that his people preferred the back pews in the sanctuary, leaving se
Few dramatic presentations of poetry... -- Isaiah 55:10-13 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Few dramatic presentations of poetry or prose surpass James Weldon Johnson's enactment of God's crea
It's imperative for a person... -- Isaiah 55:10-13 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
It's imperative for a person to develop good communication skills, if she desires to succeed in her
Suppose your father had died... -- Isaiah 55:10-13 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Suppose your father had died shortly after you were born.
From The Rock, IIIbr... -- Kings 8 (22-23, 27-30, 41-43) -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
From The Rock, IIIO weariness of men who turn from GOD
During a lengthy tour throughout... -- 1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11) 22-30, 41-43 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
During a lengthy tour throughout Europe, a poet visited, in the process, many of the grand cathedral
A Hasidic legend tells how... -- 1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11) 22-30, 41-43 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
A Hasidic legend tells how once upon a time three Hasidim made a pilgrimage to spend high holy days
As small children many of... -- 1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11) 22-30, 41-43 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
As small children many of us learned the old trick of focusing the power of the sun through a magnif

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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.

* * *

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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