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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

In ancient culture, the cornerstone... -- Acts 4:5-12 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
In ancient culture, the cornerstone was the first stone to be laid down at the corner of a building.
There is an old Japanese... -- 1 John 3:16-24 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
There is an old Japanese legend of a man who died and went to heaven.
A Midwestern church has successfully... -- 1 John 3:16-24 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
A Midwestern church has successfully partnered with an African-American congregation in their city.
We passed him every single... -- 1 John 3:16-24 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
We passed him every single day.
Among sea lions, mother sea... -- John 10:11-18 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
Among sea lions, mother sea lions leave their babies -- called "pups" -- to go hunting.
My wife and I love... -- John 10:11-18 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
My wife and I love to watch sheep dog trials.
Today is Good Shepherd Sunday... -- John 10:11-18 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
Today is Good Shepherd Sunday, and our focus is on shepherds and sheep, especially the one we know a
Blood is thicker than water... -- Acts 8:26-40 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
"Blood is thicker than water." That's what they say.
Ted and Penny looked forward... -- Acts 8:26-40 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
Ted and Penny looked forward to their first short-term mission trip to Haiti.
The Ethiopian eunuch was struggling... -- Acts 8:26-40 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
The Ethiopian eunuch was struggling to understand the difficult passage from Isaiah.
James Leigh Hunt's poem Abou... -- 1 John 4:7-21 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
James Leigh Hunt's poem Abou ben-Adhem tells the story of a Muslim man who has a visit from a
The centrality of love in... -- 1 John 4:7-21 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
The centrality of love in the Christian message matches the proven need for love in human life.
Julian of Norwich believed that... -- 1 John 4:7-21 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
Julian of Norwich believed that "love" was the only word that could be used to describe God.
Pruning a tree isn't easy... -- John 15:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
Pruning a tree isn't easy. It's an acquired skill.
One Saturday Mike set out... -- John 15:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
One Saturday Mike set out to remove some vines that were growing too close to the house.
Pruning trees has several important... -- John 15:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
Pruning trees has several important benefits. First is safety.
In the football movie, Remember... -- Acts 10:44-48 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
In the football movie, Remember the Titans, racial tension fuels a whole lot of controversy i
Val was coach of the... -- Acts 10:44-48 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
Val was coach of the high school girls soccer team.
Let's remember together the events... -- Acts 10:44-48 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
Let's remember together the events of the Day of Pentecost, which was a Jewish holy day and harvest
It is said of the... -- 1 John 5:1-6 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
It is said of the Emperor Constantine that, on the eve of an important battle in the year 312, he lo
Much to Alice's dismay she... -- 1 John 5:1-6 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
Much to Alice's dismay she discovered that her fifteen-year-old daughter was experimenting with drug
It was generally conceded that... -- 1 John 5:1-6 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
It was generally conceded that Mrs. M was a tough coach.
The novel, A Thousand Splendid... -- John 15:9-17 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
The novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, follows the life of the two wives of an abusive man in A
Alfonso XIII was king of... -- John 15:9-17 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
Alfonso XIII was king of Spain from 1886-1931, having been proclaimed king at birth.
Jesus tells us that we... -- John 15:9-17 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
Jesus tells us that we are loved because we are children of God. Love is a free gift.

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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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