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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Several years ago the late... -- Ephesians 1:11-23 -- All Saints Day - C -- 1998
Several years ago the late astronomer Carl Sagan opened the eyes of television viewers to the wonder
Did you ever wonder what... -- Ephesians 1:11-23 -- All Saints Day - C -- 1998
Did you ever wonder what Halloween means to a child? It really has to do with power and control.
Consider the wealth of blessings... -- Ephesians 1:11-23 -- All Saints Day - C -- 1998
Consider the wealth of blessings that Paul is pointing out in this passage.
This passage combines blessings upon... -- Luke 6:20-31 -- All Saints Day - C -- 1998
This passage combines blessings upon the poor and upon those followers of Christ who are persecuted
A front page story in... -- Luke 6:20-31 -- All Saints Day - C -- 1998
A front page story in Louisville's The Courier Journal contrasts life in the suburbs with lif
From 1851 to 1854, James... -- Luke 6:20-31 -- All Saints Day - C -- 1998
From 1851 to 1854, James Abbott McNeill Whistler attended West Point.
In September 1997, a sudden... -- Luke 14:25-33 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C -- 1998
In September 1997, a sudden windstorm leveled a hastily assembled stadium where 300 people had gathe
Responsibility has been described as... -- 1 Timothy 1:12-17 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - C -- 1998
Responsibility has been described as "our response to God's ability." Young Timothy had many respons
Back when dairy trucks actually... -- 1 Timothy 1:12-17 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - C -- 1998
Back when dairy trucks actually delivered milk in glass jugs, a dairy truck pulled up in front of a
I heard a great definition... -- 1 Timothy 1:12-17 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - C -- 1998
I heard a great definition not long ago that compared God's grace with God's mercy.
In 1997 the mayor of... -- Luke 15:1-10 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - C -- 1998
In 1997 the mayor of Los Angeles proposed a change in the law that would allow the city to shut down
A dog in an airplane... -- Luke 15:1-10 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - C -- 1998
A dog in an airplane baggage department had chewed up his destination card.
In a small congregation in... -- Luke 15:1-10 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - C -- 1998
In a small congregation in rural Michigan, a judicatory official was asked to investigate the activi
Dee Michel loves his job... -- Luke 15:1-10 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - C -- 1998
Dee Michel loves his job as a librarian.
One of the greatest presidential... -- 1 Timothy 2:1-7 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - C -- 1998
One of the greatest presidential inaugural speeches in American history was delivered by John Fitzge
Frederick William I was King... -- 1 Timothy 2:1-7 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - C -- 1998
Frederick William I was King of Prussia from 1713 to 1740.
A CBS news team was... -- 1 Timothy 2:1-7 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - C -- 1998
A CBS news team was taping at Jerusalem's Wailing Wall.
It is estimated that each... -- Luke 16:1-13 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - C -- 1998
It is estimated that each year Americans gamble more than $330 billion.
Snoopy, of PeanutsI... -- Luke 16:1-13 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - C -- 1998
Snoopy, of Peanuts fame, bat clenched between his jaws, readies himself for the pitch.
In February of 1997 the... -- Luke 16:1-13 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - C -- 1998
In February of 1997 the Cairo Police arrested a family which had managed to save nearly $300,000 fro
It's not the church that's... -- Luke 16:1-13 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - C -- 1998
It's not the church that's always asking for our money; it's the world!
A recent soft drink commercial... -- 1 Timothy 6:6-19 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - C -- 1998
A recent soft drink commercial is very revealing of the attitudes of today's society.
We have brought nothing into... -- 1 Timothy 6:6-19 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - C -- 1998
"We have brought nothing into this world, so we can take nothing out of it either." Ever figure out
Headlines were made in the... -- Luke 16:19-31 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - C -- 1998
Headlines were made in the spring of 1997 when a Danish woman was arrested and put in a New York Cit
In a book titled I... -- Luke 16:19-31 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - C -- 1998
In a book titled The Great Fear in Latin America, the journalist John Gerassi tells of a conv

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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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