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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

On Reformation Sunday we read... -- John 8:31-36 -- Reformation Sunday - A
On Reformation Sunday we read the familiar words of Jesus, "...
A young mother sitting next... -- John 8:31-36 -- Reformation Sunday - A
A young mother sitting next to me at one of our dinners said, "I don't really think that Jack belong
In ancient times, people were... -- John 8:31-36 -- Reformation Sunday - A
In ancient times, people were of the mind that the earth was square.
There has never been an... -- Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18 -- All Saints Day - A
There has never been an aristocracy in the United States.
The common of the earth... -- Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18 -- All Saints Day - A
The common of the earth have, since the dawn of history, dreamed "impossible dreams." Oppressed, the
The prophet calls upon the... -- Isaiah 26:1-4, 8-9, 12-13, 19-21 -- All Saints Day - A
The prophet calls upon the people of God to "trust in the Lord for ever, for the Lord God is an ever
Are you one who desires... -- Isaiah 26:1-4, 8-9, 12-13, 19-21 -- All Saints Day - A
Are you one who desires peace and hopes, someday, to avoid all conflict in your life?
In verse 9 of this... -- Isaiah 28:1-4, 8-9, 12-13, 19-21 -- All Saints Day - A
In verse 9 of this reading, the people of Judah sing, "At night I long for you with all my he
One of the most memorable... -- Isaiah 26:1-4, 8-9, 12-13, 19-21 -- All Saints Day - A
One of the most memorable plays of our century is Philip Merivale's Death Takes a Holiday,
The sage reminds us that... -- Wisdom 11:22-12:1 -- All Saints Day - A
The sage reminds us that God has mercy on all. He desires to spare all.
The story of healing of... -- Luke 17:11-19 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A
The story of healing of Naaman, the Syrian, by Elisha is brought to mind by this text.
How long will the Lord... -- Habakkuk 1:1-3, 2:1-4 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
How long will the Lord endure evil?
Habakkuk's lament is that the... -- Habakkuk 1:1-3, 2:1-4 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
Habakkuk's lament is that the Lord does not seem to be governing the world wisely or well.
We wrestle with the Incomprehensible... -- Genesis 32:22-30 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
We wrestle with the Incomprehensible One who has revealed himself to us; yet he is still mystery bey
One of the conditions that... -- Genesis 32:22-30 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
One of the conditions that causes the most wrestling with God is an over-dependence upon feelings.
In the story of Jacob... -- Genesis 32:22-30 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
In the story of Jacob wrestling at the Jabbok, Jacob readily tells his adversary his own name, but t
It is much easier to... -- Genesis 32:22-30 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
It is much easier to wrestle against a visible opponent than it is to wrestle with conscience.
The Dec. 15, 1982, edition... -- Exodus 17:8-13 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
The Dec.
I asked famed Southern Baptist... -- 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
I asked famed Southern Baptist teacher and author, Dr.
Please read verses 10-13 before... -- 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
Please read verses 10-13 before you get into this reading for today.
While serving as an exchange... -- 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
While serving as an exchange minister on the Isle of Man during the summer of 1983, I had occasion t
They ought always to pray... -- Luke 18:1-8 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
"They ought always to pray and never lose heart." For many years I have received a Christmas letter
God hears our prayers and... -- Luke 18:1-8 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
God hears our prayers and answers in one of three ways: "yes," "no," or "not yet." But if we do not
The pastoral concern of Luke... -- Luke 18:1-8 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
The pastoral concern of Luke is clear, "losing heart." For two thousand years we have been praying,
The widow in today's parable... -- Luke 18:1-8 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
The widow in today's parable is praised for her persistence in presenting her requests before an unj

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UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Ascension of the Lord
34 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Easter 7
20 – Sermons
170+ – Illustrations / Stories
26 – Children's Sermons / Resources
24 – Worship Resources
20 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Pentecost
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...

New & Featured This Week

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John Jamison
Object: A pig stuffie.

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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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