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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Back in the days of... -- Acts 1:1-11 -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2007
Back in the days of the old west, there used to be three classes of tickets on the
Power drinks and nutritional power... -- Acts 1:1-11 -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2007
Power drinks and nutritional power bars are all the rage with athletes these days.
Community Church planned a special... -- Acts 1:1-11 -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2007
Community Church planned a special celebration for its 150th anniversary. Several
The disciples asked him, Lord... -- Acts 1:1-11 -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2007
The disciples asked him, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to
Mark Twain responded to the... -- Ephesians 1:15-23 -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2007
Mark Twain responded to the Philippine-American War in 1899-1902 by writing The
Early in the year 2007... -- Ephesians 1:15-23 -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2007
Early in the year 2007, as I write this, I wonder if this can be a year of hope. In a world
Paul Wharton tells a story... -- Ephesians 1:15-23 -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2007
Paul Wharton tells a story about a wise old Middle-Eastern mystic. He confessed: "I was
You are witnesses of these... -- Luke 24:44-53 -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2007
"You are witnesses of these things." The scriptures call us all to be Christ's witnesses. In
Ask two people who witnessed... -- Luke 24:44-53 -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2007
Ask two people who witnessed the same event to give an accurate account of the event,
Olav recalls the time over... -- Luke 24:44-53 -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2007
Olav recalls the time over fifty years ago when he first accepted Jesus as his Lord and
And they were continually in... -- Luke 24:44-53 -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2007
"And they were continually in the temple blessing God." That's what the disciples
An earthquake can be misinterpreted... -- Acts 16:16-34 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2007
An earthquake can be misinterpreted, as was the 1755 quake in Lisbon, Portugal, and
At the time of the... -- Acts 16:16-34 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2007
At the time of the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, many people were praying to
What must I do to... -- Acts 16:16-34 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2007
What must I do to be saved? Most of the time we relegate these words to the
Some thoughts on Jesus Christ... -- Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2007
Some thoughts on Jesus Christ, "the bright morning star":
When Dale was four years... -- Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2007
When Dale was four years old, his mother was hospitalized for several weeks. Since
During the last several years... -- Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2007
During the last several years, the Young at Heart Sunday school class had some great
This section is disjointed, say... -- Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2007
This section is disjointed, say some critics. Nearly every sentence deals with a different
Humans seem compelled to create... -- John 17:20-26 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2007
Humans seem compelled to create "out-groups." It's not enough to be part of a group. We
Wonder of wonders, O Can... -- John 17:20-26 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2007
Wonder of wonders, O Can it be That Jesus truly prays for me?
After that last supper, Jesus... -- John 17:20-26 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2007
After that last supper, Jesus gave the church words of comfort, encouragement, and
Jenna was taking French immersion... -- Acts 2:1-21 -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 2007
Jenna was taking French immersion and doing very well, her grades were near the top of
Josh always enjoyed attending church... -- Acts 2:1-21 -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 2007
Josh always enjoyed attending church camp each summer. Over the years, he made
People can sit side-by... -- Acts 2:1-21 -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 2007
People can sit side-by-side, but be light-years apart. It happens regularly. Folks share
The Israeli tour guide was... -- Romans 8:14-17 -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 2007
The Israeli tour guide was amazed that people would expend money and effort to travel

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John Jamison
Object: A pig stuffed animal.

* * *

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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