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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Let the same mind be... -- Philippians 2:5-11 -- Passion Sunday - C -- 2007
"Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus ..." (v. 5). What a strange Messiah
Fred Craddock tells of how... -- Luke 22:14--23:56 -- Passion Sunday - C -- 2007
Fred Craddock tells of how, when he was in graduate school at Vanderbilt, he used to
Anyone who has lived on... -- Luke 22:14--23:56 -- Passion Sunday - C -- 2007
Anyone who has lived on or visited a farm will know that roosters love to crow in the
For the past twenty years... -- Luke 22:14--23:56 -- Passion Sunday - C -- 2007
For the past twenty years, a community observes Good Friday with its annual Cross
It's a struggle to keep... -- Luke 22:14--23:56 -- Passion Sunday - C -- 2007
It's a struggle to keep it. Ministers tussle mightily to retain it. As with a suit or dress ten
Humans divide time into manageable... -- Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14 -- Maundy Thursday - C -- 2007
Humans divide time into manageable hunks, then we name those days, months, and eras.
A small country church in... -- Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14 -- Maundy Thursday - C -- 2007
A small country church in Wisconsin has a special tradition that they have used at the
One of the most famous... -- Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14 -- Maundy Thursday - C -- 2007
One of the most famous paintings in the world is Leonardo da Vinci's painting of the
Fred Speakman, great preacher of... -- Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14 -- Maundy Thursday - C -- 2007
Fred Speakman, great preacher of another era, tells this story. Wheeler Robinson, great
There's a story of the... -- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 -- Maundy Thursday - C -- 2007
There's a story of the original President Bush (not our president today, but his father,
Between April 3, 1860, and... -- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 -- Maundy Thursday - C -- 2007
Between April 3, 1860, and November 21, 1861, the Pony Express delivered mail
Currently, Ben is serving with... -- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 -- Maundy Thursday - C -- 2007
Currently, Ben is serving with the US Army in war-torn Iraq. The week before being
For I received what I... -- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 -- Maundy Thursday - C -- 2007
"For I received what I passed on to you." Thus reads the apostle Paul's familiar Last
When John Kennedy ran for... -- John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- Maundy Thursday - C -- 2007
When John Kennedy ran for president in 1960, he went to West Virginia to campaign
As Christ kneels and washes... -- John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- Maundy Thursday - C -- 2007
As Christ kneels and washes the feet of the disciples of the upper room, he is teaching
A communion hymn by Charles... -- John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- Maundy Thursday - C -- 2007
A communion hymn by Charles Wesley is fitting:
Elton Trueblood used to tell... -- John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- Maundy Thursday - C -- 2007
Elton Trueblood used to tell the story that a pastor once preached on the subject of
Dorothee Soelle has remarked that... -- Isaiah 52:13--53:12 -- Good Friday - C -- 2007
Dorothee Soelle has remarked that "people can be dead for forty years even though they
Helen Keller is credited with... -- Isaiah 52:13--53:12 -- Good Friday - C -- 2007
Helen Keller is credited with these words: "So long as you can sweeten another's pain,
Jim Caviezel describes his part... -- Isaiah 52:13--53:12 -- Good Friday - C -- 2007
Jim Caviezel describes his part in the popular and controversial movie, The Passion
Some wonder where and when... -- Isaiah 52:13--53:12 -- Good Friday - C -- 2007
Some wonder where and when Jesus became aware of his mission as God's only Son.
The early nineteenth-century landscape... -- Hebrews 10:16-25 -- Good Friday - C -- 2007
The early nineteenth-century landscape painter, J. M. W. Turner, was totally devoted to
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Hugh... -- Hebrews 10:16-25 -- Good Friday - C -- 2007
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Hugh Latimer (1485-1555), wrote this about good deeds:
One day, the great German... -- Hebrews 10:16-25 -- Good Friday - C -- 2007
One day, the great German artist, Stenberg, was walking through the streets when he saw
We cannot escape the power... -- Hebrews 10:16-25 -- Good Friday - C -- 2007
We cannot escape the power of the cross on this special day. The old hymn has it right,

Political Pulpit

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UPCOMING WEEKS
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Proper 7 | OT 12 | Pentecost 2
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29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
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Proper 8 | OT 13 | Pentecost 3
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27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
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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.

Special Occasion

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