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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 song has been an... -- Colossians 3: (5-11) 12-17 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A
The song has been an important and meaningful way of expressing human feelings since the beginning o
In the early decades of... -- Colossians 3: (5-11) 12-17 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A
In the early decades of this century, the great Russian dancer Waslaw Nijinski fired imaginations on
Two stories. Let the reader... -- Genesis 15:1-6 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A
Two stories.
The young man and young... -- Genesis 15:1-6 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A
The young man and young woman were out walking hand in hand under the stars.
Ben Johnson once commented, I... -- Genesis 15:1-6 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A
Ben Johnson once commented, "I was, I am afraid, weary of being at home and weary of being abroad.
A person who believes in... -- Genesis 15:1-6 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A
A person who "believes in herself" is much more likely to succeed at whatever she undertakes than a
In the service for the... -- Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A
In the service for the Burial of the Dead in the Lutheran Book of Worship, the pastor invites
It seems that on the... -- Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A
It seems that on the road to biblical economic justice there's a roadblock in the form of a large ro
Amusement parks offer rides that... -- Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A
Amusement parks offer rides that operate by centrifugal force.
It has only been in... -- Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A
It has only been in the last few years that there has been a machine that can take a picture of an a
In virtually every congregation there... -- Luke 12:32-40 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A
In virtually every congregation there are people who become obsessed with "last things" and immerse
There was a rich lady... -- Luke 12:32-40 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A
There was a rich lady named Hetty Green who was called the Queen (some said "Witch") of Wall Street.
Richard Foster, most noted for... -- Luke 12:32-40 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A
Richard Foster, most noted for The Celebration of Discipline, has yet another volume Money
Once a week, Elliot wrote... -- Luke 12:32-40 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A
Once a week, Elliot wrote a letter to the granddaughter he had helped raise, a granddaughter
A senior citizen was browsing... -- Jeremiah 18:1-11 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A
A senior citizen was browsing through the liquor department of a store.
In a tourist area, a... -- Jeremiah 18:1-11 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A
In a tourist area, a working potter with a wheel can gather a crowd anytime.
Although the word Father can... -- Luke 11:1-13 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
Although the word "Father" can be problematic if it is too closely associated with a male person, it
A Lutheran pastor, Robert Herhold... -- Luke 11:1-3 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
A Lutheran pastor, Robert Herhold, shared some of his feelings on prayer in a little book called
Grace Easley has written a... -- Luke 11:1-13 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
Grace Easley has written a poem that states this text beautifully.
Once there was ab... -- Luke 11:1-13 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
Once there was a family who used the Lord's Prayer as their table grace.
In my youth, I could... -- 2 Kings 5:1-15ab -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
In my youth, I could often be found at a tent meeting or a revival.
A Franciscan monk was describing... -- 2 Kings 5:1-15ab -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
A Franciscan monk was describing to an inquirer the merits of the various Catholic orders.
A young student asked an... -- 2 Kings 5:1-15ab -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
A young student asked an aging monk for advice on how to live a pure and holy life.
From The Rockbr... -- Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:18-26 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
From "The Rock"The Eagle soars in the summit of Heaven,
No one cares to be... -- Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:18-26 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A
No one cares to be a good servant these days it seems.

Political Pulpit

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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
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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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