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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

The Chicago Daily News once... -- 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:2 (3-10) -- Ash Wednesday - C
The Chicago Daily News once ran a contest inviting readers to answer the question "What is th
A pastor was distressed when... -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Ash Wednesday - C
A pastor was distressed when a called meeting took away a long-anticipated free day.
Giving money, praying, and fasting... -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Ash Wednesday - C
Giving money, praying, and fasting are interwoven in this text not as negatives to be avoided, but a
Robert Frost, in a poem... -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Ash Wednesday - C
Robert Frost, in a poem, speaks about the reasons God might have created humans.
Obtaining more and more of... -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Ash Wednesday - C
Obtaining more and more of that which is supposed to make us feel secure often only increases our in
It often seems as if... -- Deuteronomy 26:1-11 -- First Sunday in Lent - C
It often seems as if this old creedal formula from the people of Israel has no merit in the modern a
A teenager came home from... -- Deuteronomy 26:1-11 -- First Sunday in Lent - C
A teenager came home from school announcing that she wished to travel with her class across country
The ugliness of open ingratitude... -- Deuteronomy 26:1-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C
The ugliness of open ingratitude is graphically portrayed by the story of a young army captain who w
I give when I go... -- Deuteronomy 26:1-11 -- Ash Wednesday - C
"I give when I go!" That is the response too many church members make to a stewardship caller who is
It is dangerously easy to... -- Romans 10:8b-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C
It is dangerously easy to begin to assume that God is our personal possession.
Never was the adage that... -- Romans 10:8b-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C
Never was the adage that confession is good for the soul so true as it was in the following fable en
A terribly heinous crime... -- Romans 10:8b-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C
A terribly heinous crime was committed in a big city and the police had some good leads as to
I have a problem for... -- Romans 10:8b-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C
I have a problem for you. It is an easy problem.
In his article, How to... -- Luke 4:1-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C
In his article, "How to Handle Temptation," Dr. Smiley Blanton states:
The best way to drive... -- Luke 4:1-13 -- First Sunday in Lent - C
The best way to drive out the devil,if he will not yield to texts of Scripture,
In 1980 there was a... -- 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 -- Transfiguration Sunday - C
In 1980 there was a gathering to celebrate the Tenth Anniversary of the ordination of women into Lut
She touches the untouchables. She... -- 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 -- Transfiguration Sunday - C
She touches the untouchables. She picks up the dying off the streets.
None of us wears a... -- 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 -- Transfiguration Sunday - C
None of us wears a veil that anyone can see. We've grown too sophisticated for that.
The St. Louis Globe (February... -- 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 -- Transfiguration Sunday - C
The St.
The young boy had gone... -- 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 -- Transfiguration Sunday - C
The young boy had gone miniature golfing with his father and other relatives and was the youngest in
I'm finally beginning to see... -- 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 -- Transfiguration Sunday - C
"I'm finally beginning to see the light," is not an uncommon phrase.
Clay pots (v. 7) were... -- 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 -- Transfiguration Sunday - C
Clay pots (v. 7) were the tin cans of the ancient world.
The agnostic, Robert G. Ingersoll... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Transfiguration Sunday - C
The agnostic, Robert G.
In the process of delivering... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Transfiguration Sunday - C
In the process of delivering the earliest written record of the Resurrection of Christ, Paul not onl
Alice Walker in The Color... -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- Transfiguration Sunday - C
Alice Walker in The Color Purple reveals a realistic picture of the pain, violence and suffer

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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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