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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

In the rural reaches of... -- Deuteronomy 34:1-12 -- Transfiguration Sunday - C
In the rural reaches of the St.
Turn into the skid is... -- Isaiah 6:1-8 -- Transfiguration Sunday - C
"Turn into the skid" is the motto for safe driving.
Fill in the blanks in... -- Isaiah 6:1-8 -- Transfiguration Sunday - C
"Fill in the blanks in the sentence: '_________ loved me by _________ ;'"the leader suggested.
Wallace Stevens points us to... -- Isaiah 6:1-8 -- Transfiguration Sunday - C
Wallace Stevens points us to the fine distinction of the mysteries of life by pointing us to the two
Most of us are pretty... -- Isaiah 6:1-8 -- Transfiguration Sunday - C
Most of us are pretty glib when we talk about a president or a king or queen or prime minister or so
Countless descriptions of call stories... -- Jeremiah 1:4-10 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
Countless descriptions of "call stories" or instances of select individual being set apart for speci
A theological issue that continues... -- Jeremiah 1:4-10 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
A theological issue that continues to separate Christians is that of predestination.
A study of military recruiting... -- Jeremiah 1:4-10 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
A study of military recruiting posters over the last forty or fifty years would provide interesting
In The Irony of American... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
In The Irony of American History, Rinhold Niebuhr makes the point that anything worth accompl
The Iran-Contra affair was... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
The Iran-Contra affair was one story that occupied the media for a prolonged period of time.
Dear Cindy and Tom,br... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
Dear Cindy and Tom,
Johann Sebastian Bach dedicated his... -- 1 Corinthians 14:12b-20 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
Johann Sebastian Bach dedicated his The Little Organ Book "In praise of the Almighty's Will a
Strive to excel in building... -- 1 Corinthians 14:12b-20 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
"Strive to excel in building up the church." (1 Corinthians 14:12) was the boy's confirmation verse.
Pat Conroy, in his novel... -- 1 Corinthians 14:12b-20 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
Pat Conroy, in his novel, The Prince of Tides, reports early in the story a conversation betw
Our world is more and... -- 1 Corinthians 14:12b-20 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
Our world is more and more one of "specialized languages." It is hard for the chemist to explain to
Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa is an excellent example of the fact Jesus speaks in this tex
Jesus understood the difficulties of... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
Jesus understood the difficulties of seeing those who are closest to us, or those whom we know so we
One day during his great... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
One day during his great mission in London Evangelist Dwight L.
When I was a boy... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C
When I was a boy, I heard about people being tarred and feathered and run out of town on a rail.
The prophet speaks of a... -- Jeremiah 33:14-16 -- First Sunday of Advent - B
The prophet speaks of a new name for Jerusalem. What difference does it make what a city is called?
In a small country church... -- Jeremiah 33:14-16 -- First Sunday of Advent - B
In a small country church, preparations were being made for the Sunday school Christmas program.
May He banish from the... -- Jeremiah 33:14-16 -- First Sunday of Advent - B
May He banish from the hearts of all men and women whatever might endanger peace.
I will make a righteous... -- Jeremiah 33:14-16 -- First Sunday of Advent - B
"I will make a righteous branch sprout from David's line." For many years, we had a maple tree stump
There is an old legend... -- Zechariah 14:4-9 -- First Sunday of Advent - B
There is an old legend that when end times come a golden thread will be stretched across the Valley
Standing on the Mount of... -- Zechariah 14:4-9 -- First Sunday of Advent - B
Standing on the Mount of Olives, overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem, is an exhilarating experienc

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UPCOMING WEEKS
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Proper 7 | OT 12 | Pentecost 2
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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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