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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

In the movie, Overboard, Joanna... -- 2 Kings 5:1-14 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2008
In the movie, Overboard, Joanna Stayton was a rich, spoiled heiress who fell "overboard" from
Abraham Lincoln's secretary of war... -- 2 Kings 5:1-14 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2008
Abraham Lincoln's secretary of war, Edwin Stanton, was angered by an army officer who accused him of
The great Italian conductor, Arturo... -- 2 Kings 5:1-14 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2008
The great Italian conductor, Arturo Toscanini, was legendary for his fits of rage.
We want to show off... -- 2 Kings 5:1-14 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2008
We want to show off.
Naaman and his army had... -- 2 Kings 5:1-14 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2008
Naaman and his army had recently conquered Israel, bringing home a girl to be his wife's servant.
Failure, they say, is the... -- 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2008
"Failure," they say, "is the path of least persistence." That truth was demonstrated in the movie,
The job of a football... -- 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2008
The job of a football coach is to make men do what they don't want to do, in order to achieve what t
Lanny Bassham, Olympic gold-medalist... -- 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2008
Lanny Bassham, Olympic gold-medalist in small-bore rifle competition, tells what concentration does
Taylor recalls his high school... -- 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2008
Taylor recalls his high school wrestling coach whose goal was to make his students both tougher and
Everyone knows that to be... -- 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2008
Everyone knows that to be a top level athlete takes talent mixed with lots of hard work.
The RSV maintains a more... -- Mark 1:40-45 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2008
The RSV maintains a more literal translation of the leper's words, "If you will, you can make
Booker T. Washington describes meeting... -- Mark 1:40-45 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2008
Booker T.
During World War II, Winston... -- Mark 1:40-45 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2008
During World War II, Winston Churchill was forced to make a painful choice.
Pastor Stephey Bilynskyj, starts each... -- Mark 1:40-45 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2008
Pastor Stephey Bilynskyj, starts each confirmation class with a jar full of beans.
Haley is the smart one... -- Mark 1:40-45 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2008
Haley is the "smart one" at school.
Joanne was a wife, mother... -- Mark 1:40-45 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2008
Joanne was a wife, mother, and foster mother.
Don't step on the crack... -- 2 Kings 2:1-12 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2008
"Don't step on the crack, or you'll break your mother's back!" No wonder children are afraid to step
In order to be a... -- 2 Kings 2:1-12 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2008
In order to be a leader a man must have followers.
Peter Drucker offers insightful guidance... -- 2 Kings 2:1-12 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2008
Peter Drucker offers insightful guidance to the church when he calls leadership a peak performance b
Living away from home for... -- 2 Kings 2:1-12 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2008
Living away from home for the first time is an experience that everyone looks forward to.
The story of Elisha's determination... -- 2 Kings 2:1-12 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2008
The story of Elisha's determination to stay with Elijah until he was taken reminds one of the determ
June felt that her fifth... -- 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2008
June felt that her fifth-grade Sunday school class was slighted because it was given the only classr
Making decisions in the dark... -- 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2008
Making decisions in the dark can lead to some regrettable consequences.
In his book, An Anthropologist... -- 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2008
In his book, An Anthropologist on Mars, neurologist Oliver Sacks tells about Virgil, a man wh
Imagine a game of blind... -- 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2008
Imagine a game of blind-man's bluff at the edge of a pool.

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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
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Proper 8 | OT 13 | Pentecost 3
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
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Proper 9 | OT 14 | Pentecost 4
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32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
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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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