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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

No doctrine of our faith... -- John 14:8-17 (25-27) -- Day of Pentecost - C
No doctrine of our faith stirs up such controversy as that of the Holy Spirit.
We can learn much about... -- Exodus 3:1-15 -- Third Sunday in Lent - C
We can learn much about the God of Abraham and Sarah, the God of our ancestors, the God of Isaac and
I do not like to... -- Exodus 3:1-15 -- Third Sunday in Lent - C
I do not like to go barefoot. You will never find me without shoes, slippers, or other footwear.
Idolatry comes variously packaged. Sometimes... -- 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 -- Third Sunday in Lent - C
Idolatry comes variously packaged. Sometimes that packaging is tangible, sometimes it is not.
The overarching message of this... -- 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 -- Third Sunday in Lent - C
The overarching message of this passage seems to be expressed in verse 12 -- a warning against overc
There is a story of... -- 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 -- Third Sunday in Lent - C
There is a story of two monks who were struggling with the whole matter of their holin
Two things are extremely dangerous... -- 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 -- Third Sunday in Lent - C
Two things are extremely dangerous for a mountain climber -- the serious mountain climber who
Dr. E. Stanley Jones tells... -- Luke 13:1-9 -- Second Sunday after Christmas - C
Dr. E.
How unfortunately typical and contemporary... -- Luke 13:1-9 -- Third Sunday in Lent - C
How unfortunately typical and contemporary is this part of Luke.
Don Giovanni, a renown opera... -- Luke 13:1-9 -- Third Sunday in Lent - C
Don Giovanni, a renown opera of Amadeus Mozart, is often criticized as being too long
It happened every third time... -- Luke 13:1-S -- Third Sunday in Lent - C
It happened every third time the group of ministers met.
The issue: What makes for... -- Acts 16:16-34 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C
The issue: What makes for human freedom?
The natives of North and... -- Acts 16:16-34 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C
The natives of North and South America grew a special type of corn that we still produce today.
I wonder about jailers. Today... -- Acts 16:16-34 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C
I wonder about jailers.
A seminary student on internship... -- Acts 16:16-34 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C
A seminary student on internship was startled one Sunday when a young woman came up to her and said
Most major amusement parks feature... -- Acts 16:6-10 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C
Most major amusement parks feature a ride through a waterway system that eventually leads to a pinna
Often, when trying to get... -- Acts 16:6-10 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C
Often, when trying to get lively and picturesque sermon ideas, I discuss the matter with my eight-ye
Dennis Waitley in Seeds of... -- Acts 16:6-10 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C
Dennis Waitley in Seeds of Greatness speaks about the need to have goals in one's personal li
When Thomas Edison was twelve... -- Acts 16:6-10 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C
When Thomas Edison was twelve, he took a job on the Grand Trunk Railway as a "news butcher," selling
Will Durant explains that history... -- Acts 7:55-60 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C
Will Durant explains that history is smeared with atrocities.
Near-death experiences have gained... -- Acts 7:55-60 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C
Near-death experiences have gained much interest and are recorded in such books as Life after Lif
Elizabeth Kubler-Ross created a... -- Acts 7:55-60 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C
Elizabeth Kubler-Ross created a great sensation through her interviews with dying patients which she
The Gods Must Be Crazy... -- Luke 4:1-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C
The Gods Must Be Crazy is a movie about the confusion created in a "primitive" South A
Where To Lodge The Gift... -- Luke 4:1-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C
Where To Lodge The GiftDo we giveto the Opportunistor
Abram asked God for a... -- Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 -- Second Sunday in Lent - C
Abram asked God for a sign that he would possess the land.

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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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