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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

It is that time of... -- Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 -- Third Sunday of Advent - B -- 2008
It is that time of year when family members whom we don't often see will soon return home for the ho
Jamie was trying out for... -- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 -- Third Sunday of Advent - B -- 2008
Jamie was trying out for a part in the Christmas play.
It had been a rough... -- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 -- Third Sunday of Advent - B -- 2008
It had been a rough year for the Rogers family.
Sports drinks are the rage... -- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 -- Third Sunday of Advent - B -- 2008
Sports drinks are the rage these days.
The conductor, author, and composer... -- John 1:6-8, 19-28 -- Third Sunday of Advent - B -- 2008
The conductor, author, and composer, Leonard Bernstein, was also a teacher.
There was once a town... -- John 1:6-8, 19-28 -- Third Sunday of Advent - B -- 2008
There was once a town overrun by squirrels. They were everywhere, especially the churches.
John the Baptist is a... -- John 1:6-8, 19-28 -- Third Sunday of Advent - B -- 2008
John the Baptist is a popular preacher, having followers of his own.
It is among the oldest... -- 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - B -- 2008
It is among the oldest and most durable of the old vaudeville routines.
Eric shared with the youth... -- 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - B -- 2008
Eric shared with the youth group the time when he accompanied his father to the service club's Chris
When Michael and David were... -- 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - B -- 2008
When Michael and David were ten, they decided that what their dad needed most for Father's Day was a
My father-in-law and... -- Romans 16:25-27 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - B -- 2008
My father-in-law and his brother lived the last years of their life in an assisted living facility.
This section of Romans is... -- Romans 16:25-27 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - B -- 2008
This section of Romans is called the final doxology.
In the concluding verses of... -- Romans 16:25-27 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - B -- 2008
In the concluding verses of the letter to the Romans, Paul reflects on the "mystery that was kept se
Hail Mary, full of grace... -- Luke 1:26-38 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - B -- 2008
"Hail Mary, full of grace.
Boys dressed in bathrobes portraying... -- Luke 1:26-38 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - B -- 2008
Boys dressed in bathrobes portraying shepherds, a shy girl cast as Mary, alongside a giggling boy as
When the doctor gave sixteen... -- Luke 1:26-38 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - B -- 2008
When the doctor gave sixteen year-old Mavis the news, it didn't come as a surprise. Pregnant.
At Christmas, people grab from... -- Isaiah 9:2-7 -- The Nativity of our Lord - B -- 2008
At Christmas, people grab from this text: "Prince of peace," and "endless peace," and miss "boots of
Put yourself in the month... -- Isaiah 9:2-7 -- The Nativity of our Lord - B -- 2008
Put yourself in the month of June.
The days are short and... -- Isaiah 9:2-7 -- The Nativity of our Lord - B -- 2008
The days are short and dark now, but it is a season of lights.
HERMON, Me. -- It was the... -- Titus 2:11-14 -- The Nativity of our Lord - B -- 2008
HERMON, Me.
It was a couple of... -- Titus 2:11-14 -- The Nativity of our Lord - B -- 2008
It was a couple of days before Christmas and Mitch was out of town on a business trip.
Athletes train hard for the... -- Titus 2:11-14 -- The Nativity of our Lord - B -- 2008
Athletes train hard for the chance to stand on the podium with a medal around their necks.
Shepherds experience the angels' message... -- Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) -- The Nativity of our Lord - B -- 2008
Shepherds experience the angels' message at night.
Barbara Robinson's book, The Best... -- Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) -- The Nativity of our Lord - B -- 2008
Barbara Robinson's book, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, tells the story of the youth in a p
Tonight we find ourselves on... -- Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) -- The Nativity of our Lord - B -- 2008
Tonight we find ourselves on the road to Bethlehem.

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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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