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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

There are tests and suffering... -- Romans 5:1-8 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - A -- 1999
There are tests and suffering in life that all of us have to endure.
Mary was ecstatic. For the... -- Romans 5:1-8 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - A -- 1999
Mary was ecstatic.
In her little book I... -- Romans 5:1-8 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - A -- 1999
In her little book The True Adventure of Daniel Hall, Diane Stanley relates the story of Dani
Robert was a pathetic sight... -- Romans 5:1-8 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - A -- 1999
Robert was a pathetic sight the first time I saw him.
Father Gerry was a true... -- Matthew 9:35--10:8 (9-23) -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - A -- 1999
Father Gerry was a true believer in the vows he took at his ordination into the priesthood.
When the Communist government of... -- Matthew 9:35--10:8 (9-23) -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - A -- 1999
When the Communist government of Romania cracked down on Christians in the 1950s and 1960s, Reverend
A friend of mine is... -- Matthew 9:35--10:8 (9-23) -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - A -- 1999
A friend of mine is quite handy, so he was confident he could throw together a small computer desk i
Jesus had a very specific... -- Matthew 9:35--10:8 (9-23) -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - A -- 1999
Jesus had a very specific purpose in his ministry.
For about 22 years a... -- Romans 6:1b-11 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 1999
For about 22 years a strange festival has been taking place in Bunol, Spain.
Jessie had been attending Church... -- Romans 6:1b-11 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 1999
Jessie had been attending Church since she was eight days old.
Candlemakers Michael and Lynette Richards... -- Romans 6:1b-11 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 1999
Candlemakers Michael and Lynette Richards of Iowa City, Iowa, give hope and help to homeless, disabl
Ted seemed like the rebel... -- Romans 6:1b-11 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 1999
Ted seemed like the rebel of rebels.
Margaret held her breath. She... -- Matthew 10:24-39 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 1999
Margaret held her breath. She couldn't decide what to do.
Saint Francis of Assisi, who... -- Matthew 10:24-39 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 1999
Saint Francis of Assisi, who preached to the birds that Jesus speaks about, desired to follow his Lo
Information explosion! The amount of... -- Matthew 10:24-39 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 1999
Information explosion! The amount of data doubles at ever-
A student is not above... -- Matthew 10:24-39 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 1999
"A student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above the master" reminds us of the importance of
For many of us who... -- Romans 6:12-23 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 1999
For many of us who grew up in the '50s, playing marbles was not something we did a lot, but there wa
Jim was 38 years old... -- Romans 6:12-23 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 1999
Jim was 38 years old. The doctors had given him less than a month to live.
Mel Trotter was an alcoholic... -- Romans 6:12-23 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 1999
Mel Trotter was an alcoholic whose drunkenness regularly separated him from his wife and family.
When Neil Armstrong stepped out... -- Romans 6:12-23 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 1999
When Neil Armstrong stepped out of Eagle onto the moon's surface on July 20, 1969, and said, "That's
The children laughed at her... -- Matthew 10:40-42 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 1999
The children laughed at her when Sheila walked into church.
It is true we pray... -- Matthew 10:40-42 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 1999
It is true we pray for a good harvest from our efforts; but while we pray, we still work, just like
What is your initial reaction... -- Matthew 10:40-42 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 1999
What is your initial reaction when in the flurry of Saturday morning's chores the doorbell rings and
This is a passage which... -- Matthew 10:40-42 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 1999
This is a passage which talks about "rewards," but clearly, not rewards as the world knows rewards.
The gold fabric of Raga's... -- 1 Peter 2:2-10 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - A -- 1999
The gold fabric of Raga's sari shimmers.

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Proper 7 | OT 12 | Pentecost 2
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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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