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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Helena prayed for her six... -- Matthew 22:34-46 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A -- 1999
Helena prayed for her six children.
In her poem I Shall... -- Matthew 22:34-46 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A -- 1999
In her poem "I Shall Not Pass This Way Again," Eva Rose York describes the beautiful sights and soun
Marshall McLuhan used the concept... -- Matthew 22:34-46 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A -- 1999
Marshall McLuhan used the concept of environmentalism to explain why people lose the enthusiasm and
Loving God with all our... -- Matthew 22:34-46 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A -- 1999
Loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind keeps our focus in the proper perspective.
In 1940, a British officer... -- 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 -- Reformation Sunday - A -- 1999
In 1940, a British officer on Dunkirk beach flashed to London a three-word message: "But if not." It
For you know that we... -- 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 -- Reformation Sunday - A -- 1999
"For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, c
The apostle Paul speaks of... -- 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 -- Reformation Sunday - A -- 1999
The apostle Paul speaks of honoring God with our lives in our lesson.
My son, Andrew, just turned... -- Romans 3:19-28 -- Reformation Sunday - A -- 1999
My son, Andrew, just turned three. Sometimes my maternal pride causes me to see him as a saint.
The knowledge of sin can... -- Romans 3:19-28 -- Reformation Sunday - A -- 1999
The knowledge of sin can be a dreadful and deadly experience. Ken discovered this the hard way.
What if I were to... -- Romans 3:19-28 -- Reformation Sunday - A -- 1999
What if I were to invite you to stick your hand into a shapeless bag without telling you the content
In this powerful explanation of... -- Romans 3:19-28 -- Reformation Sunday - A -- 1999
In this powerful explanation of grace, Paul reminds us that we are still called to be obedient.
Neil and Barbara were sitting... -- Matthew 23:1-12 -- Reformation Sunday - A -- 1999
Neil and Barbara were sitting around the council table.
Dr. Jim Withers, 38, is... -- Matthew 23:1-12 -- Reformation Sunday - A -- 1999
Dr.
The greatest among you will... -- Matthew 23:1-12 -- Reformation Sunday - A -- 1999
"The greatest among you will be your servant.
Reader's Digest features... -- Philippians 4:1-9 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A -- 1999
Reader's Digest features both "Points to Ponder" and "Quotable Quotes." Included will be such
When Tony Campolo was invited... -- Philippians 4:1-9 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A -- 1999
When Tony Campolo was invited to preach at a Lutheran church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the pastor
They called George Muller the... -- Philippians 4:1-9 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A -- 1999
They called George Muller the "man of faith." Believing that his material needs would be supplied th
Hugh looked around the room... -- Matthew 22:1-14 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A -- 1999
Hugh looked around the room.
Those initially invited to the... -- Matthew 22:1-14 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A -- 1999
Those initially invited to the wedding banquet refused to come and missed the opportunity to share i
Robert E. Lee once said... -- Matthew 22:1-14 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A -- 1999
Robert E. Lee once said, "Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more.
This is a strange story... -- Matthew 22:1-14 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A -- 1999
This is a strange story, and one which is difficult to understand.
Pastor, we need you, Pearl... -- 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A -- 1999
"Pastor, we need you," Pearl said to me with tears in her eyes.
Charles Krauthammer, in Time... -- 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A -- 1999
Charles Krauthammer, in Time, June 15, 1998, wrote that religion is no longer a conviction.
And so you became a... -- 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A -- 1999
"And so you became a model (an example) to all the believers...." For Paul one of the most important
The apostle Paul wrote the... -- 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A -- 1999
The apostle Paul wrote the church at Thessalonica and told them that God had chosen them to be his p

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