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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

The legend continues to be... -- Ephesians 6:10-20 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 2009
The legend continues to be passed on that the armor of medieval knights weighed so much that the kni
Armor is made out of... -- Ephesians 6:10-20 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 2009
Armor is made out of material we trust.
New hymnals appear about every... -- Ephesians 6:10-20 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 2009
New hymnals appear about every 25 years, with a hymnal committee deciding which hymns to keep, what
The English painter J. M... -- John 6:56-69 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 2009
The English painter J. M. W.
Steve was attending a business... -- John 6:56-69 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 2009
Steve was attending a business meeting in New York City.
At first it seemed that... -- John 6:56-69 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 2009
At first it seemed that everyone was in favor of building the new church.
In Guy de Maupassant’s story... -- Song of Solomon 2:8-13 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2009
In Guy de Maupassant’s story “In the Moonlight,” the priest, Marignan, believes he understands God p
When we think of Puritans... -- Song of Solomon 2:8-13 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2009
When we think of Puritans, we tend to think of the Bible-thumping, strict, “you’re-destined-for-hell
An older couple walked slowly... -- Song of Solomon 2:8-13 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2009
An older couple walked slowly hand in hand along the beach.
Angry words are among the... -- James 1:17-27 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2009
Angry words are among the most destructive.
Bob was a loyal member... -- James 1:17-27 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2009
Bob was a loyal member of his church for well over fifty years.
Johnny was a talker, and... -- James 1:17-27 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2009
Johnny was a talker, and even though his talk often got him into trouble, he didn’t seem to learn.
I grew up knowing about... -- Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2009
I grew up knowing about pests in the house: flies, moths, ants, and mosquitoes.
Consider the bag of potato... -- Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2009
Consider the bag of potato chips. It’s marvelous, really.
Winston Churchill told the story... -- Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2009
Winston Churchill told the story of a man who dived into a river to save a drowning child, only to h
Some people never doubt the... -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - B -- 2009
Some people never doubt the Bible's veracity. I have.
Sometimes God uses those who... -- Mark 6:14-29, Ephesians 1:3-14, 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19, Psalm 24 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 2009
Sometimes God uses those who lack pedigree in order to fine-tune our attention and our focus.
Isaiah 50:4-9a Lt... -- Matthew 26:14--27:66, Philippians 2:5-11, Isaiah 50:4-9a -- Passion Sunday - A -- 2008
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Preaching The Psalmbr... -- Matthew 2:1-12, Ephesians 3:1-12, Isaiah 60:1-6, Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14 -- Epiphany of the Lord - A -- 2008
Preaching The PsalmPsalm 72:1-7, 10-14
Preaching The Psalmbr... -- Matthew 17:1-9, 2 Peter 1:16-21, Exodus 24:12-18, Psalm 2 -- 2008
Preaching The PsalmPsalm 2
It's hard to imagine a... -- 1 Samuel 16:1-13 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2008
It's hard to imagine a candidate running for president today without a veritable army of
When I worked with churches... -- 1 Samuel 16:1-13 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2008
When I worked with churches searching for a new pastor, they were often tempted to go
Erica seemed like an ordinary... -- 1 Samuel 16:1-13 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2008
Erica seemed like an ordinary person who attended church each week. She did not
The cliché is well known... -- 1 Samuel 16:1-13 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2008
The cliché is well known: "You can't judge a book by its cover." But how about this one:
Allen Carr (1934-2006) smoked for... -- Ephesians 5:8-14 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2008
Allen Carr (1934-2006) smoked for 31 years. He tried many times to stop, but, he usually

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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
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Proper 9 | OT 14 | Pentecost 4
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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
Bonnie Bates

1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7) 8-15a and Psalm 42-43
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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