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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

In an article for The... -- Genesis 25:19-34 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 2008
In an article for The Journal for Youth and Adolescence (vol. 36, 2007, pp. 661-
A suicide in London became... -- Romans 8:1-11 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 2008
A suicide in London became famous. The man was John Ellis, who for a quarter century
Though few people give much... -- Romans 8:1-11 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 2008
Though few people give much daily thought to it, the judgment will be a fearsome
In Romans 8, the word... -- Romans 8:1-11 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 2008
In Romans 8, the word "spirit" is used twenty times. It speaks of power. The Hebrew
In chapter 18 of Huckleberry... -- Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 2008
In chapter 18 of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain provides an example of some
We all know the parable... -- Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 2008
We all know the parable of the seeds that fell on the various types of soil -- and we, of
Anthony Flew was born in... -- Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 2008
Anthony Flew was born in England, the son of a Methodist preacher. He was raised in a
On Greg's farm, his land... -- Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 2008
On Greg's farm, his land varies greatly from one field to another, and even within a given
A benefit of having a... -- Genesis 28:10-19a -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2008
A benefit of having a few decades of experience is to begin seeing patterns. On the
On his way to Haran... -- Genesis 28:10-19a -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2008
On his way to Haran, his relative's homeland, Jacob had a spectacular dream one night. In
All of us who are... -- Genesis 28:10-19a -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2008
All of us who are married have occasionally been asked, Where did you meet your wife?
In a certain village, the... -- Romans 8:12-25 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2008
In a certain village, the school bell rang at 8:30 a.m. to call the children to class. The boys
If we're alive in this... -- Romans 8:12-25 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2008
If we're alive in this world, we know that at times we're going to have to go through some
Ron was blessed to have... -- Romans 8:12-25 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2008
Ron was blessed to have two children. His oldest son, David, just turned six. His
Creation groans. According to the... -- Romans 8:12-25 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2008
Creation groans. According to the World Wildlife Federation's (WWF) 2002 "The Living
The best definition of self... -- Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2008
The best definition of self-righteous I can offer is "a fat person who just lost twenty
Most people grasp the meaning... -- Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2008
Most people grasp the meaning of Jesus' parable of the sower. Jesus clarified it well. He
Many people carry with them... -- Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2008
Many people carry with them a mustard seed as we know them, a small light-colored
At a gloomy time in... -- Genesis 29:15-28 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 2008
At a gloomy time in his life, when he was near bankruptcy after a vain attempt at
You know the old saying... -- Genesis 29:15-28 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 2008
You know the old saying, "What goes around comes around."
Pam was at a turning... -- Genesis 29:15-28 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 2008
Pam was at a turning point in her life. She signed up for an in-depth Bible study at a
Geoffrey Chaucer told a marvelous... -- Genesis 29:15-28 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 2008
Geoffrey Chaucer told a marvelous tale of a trickster getting tricked. Actually, he had the
A friend told me of... -- Romans 8:26-39 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 2008
A friend told me of a perfect prayer he'd heard. His congregation was experiencing strife.
Over our fifty-plus years... -- Romans 8:26-39 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 2008
Over our fifty-plus years of marriage, my wife has prepared many great meals. She's
For many, their favorite verse... -- Romans 8:26-39 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 2008
For many, their favorite verse in the Bible is Romans 8:28: "We know that all things

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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
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4 – Pastor's Devotions
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Proper 9 | OT 14 | Pentecost 4
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31 – Commentary / Exegesis
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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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