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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Exile immobilizes to some degree... -- Deuteronomy 10:12-22 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A
"Exile immobilizes to some degree the minds of those who suffer it.
A person who has grown... -- Deuteronomy 10:12-22 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A
A person who has grown up as a slave is in a particularly difficult situation if/when he/she is give
The Rev. Dr. Lloyd Svendsbye... -- Exodus 17:8-13 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A
The Rev. Dr.
There are many folks who... -- Exodus 17:8-13 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A
There are many folks who have had strong messages of salvation for the world.
A moving story of how... -- Exodus 17:8-3 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A
A moving story of how even the humblest of lay persons can uphold a "prophet's hand" comes to us fro
Moses was willing to be... -- Exodus 17:8-13 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A
Moses was willing to be helped. That says a lot for him.
The pastor should intentionally seek... -- 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
"The pastor should intentionally seek spiritual care about the responsibilities of the office.
Once upon a time, a... -- 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
Once upon a time, a very important theologian from a very important seminary met another very
Some time ago, a twenty... -- 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
Some time ago, a twenty-four-year-old student, Vido Mati of Barcelona, Spain, was writing his thesis
It is usually my nose... -- 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
It is usually my nose, not my ears, that sometimes itches during a church service, more often than n
A woman felt she had... -- Luke 18:1-8a -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
A woman felt she had a legitimate grievance against a photographic company.
A modern example of vindication... -- Luke 18:1-8a -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
A modern example of vindication was reported in the May 30th edition of Jet Magazine which fo
Professor Benjamin Bloom of the... -- Luke 18:1-8a -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
Professor Benjamin Bloom of the University of Chicago recently led a group of researchers in a study
You can't walk on water... -- Luke 18:1-8a -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
You can't walk on water because water gives.
In Alfred Hitchcock's famous thriller... -- Micah 1:2; 2:1-10 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
In Alfred Hitchcock's famous thriller Rear Window, a man idly peering into apartment windows
Norman Cousins wrote in the... -- Genesis 32:22-30 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
Norman Cousins wrote in the Saturday Review, "What holds men back today is not the pressure o
The time is out of... -- Genesis 32:22-32 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
The time is out of joint; O cursed spite, That I was ever born to set it right! Shakespeare i
In John Osborne's play, Luther... -- Genesis 32:22-30 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
In John Osborne's play, Luther, the papal representative Cajetan comes to Luther to work out
It was more the brazenness... -- Genesis 32:22-30 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
It was more the brazenness of youth than wisdom which caused a young pastor to confront the fifty-ye
Augustine struggled long and hard... -- Kings 5:14-17 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
Augustine struggled long and hard against the pull of the world and the pull of the spirit.
Washing in the Jordan seven... -- 2 Kings 5:14-17 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
Washing in the Jordan seven times seemed too simple to Namaan, the leper.
Promoting the desire and the... -- 2 Kings 5:14-17 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
Promoting the desire and the expectation of something-for-nothing mentality: "At United we don't thi
We spend so much of... -- 2 Kings 5:14-17 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
We spend so much of life "waiting on the big thing to do" that we miss the whole opportunity of life
Orpheus was a hero of... -- 2 Timothy 1:3-14 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A
Orpheus was a hero of the ancient Greeks.
Who are the Lois and... -- 2 Timothy 1:3-14 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A
Who are the Lois and Eunice type persons in your life?

Political Pulpit

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The Political Pulpit

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.

Special Occasion

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