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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

In the 1600s there was... -- Mark 10:46-52 -- Reformation Sunday - B -- 1997
In the 1600s there was a philosopher by the name of Blaise Pascal.
The signature of Jesus' eternal... -- John 18:33-37 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 1997
The signature of Jesus' eternal kingdom is that which was nailed over his cross: INRI (four Latin l
The poor widow accepted poverty... -- Mark 12:38-44 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - B -- 1997
The poor widow accepted poverty in order to celebrate her love for God and to show where her heart w
Inspiration comes and goes mysteriously... -- Luke 2:41-52 -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - C -- 1997
Inspiration comes and goes mysteriously.
While Nero fiddled, Rome burned... -- Mark 9:30-37 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 1997
"While Nero fiddled, Rome burned."
When Jesus enters the life... -- Mark 10:46-52 -- Reformation Sunday - B -- 1997
When Jesus enters the life of blind Bartimaeus, he is sitting on the side of the road.
Servanthood must be learned.br... -- Mark 10:35-45 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 1997
Servanthood must be learned.
The Branch Davidians who barricaded... -- Mark 13:1-8 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 1997
The Branch Davidians who barricaded themselves behind flimsy walls outside Waco, Texas, truly believ
Whoever belongs to the truth... -- John 18:33-37 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 1997
"Whoever belongs to the truth listen to me" is the way Today's English Version translates John 18:3
A widow is remembered across... -- Mark 12:38-44 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - B -- 1997
A widow is remembered across the centuries not for the amount of her church offering but for the sac
If you are a single... -- Mark 5:21-43 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 1997
If you are a single-minded person and a "doer" more than a "thinker," it is very difficult to stop w
Back in the 1970s, one... -- John 6:56-69 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 1997
Back in the 1970s, one of the fads was the Pet Rock.
We know nothing about the... -- Luke 2:41-52 -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - C -- 1997
We know nothing about the youth of Jesus except his visit to the Temple in Jerusalem at the age of t
When Jesus calls us to... -- Mark 9:38-50 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 1997
When Jesus calls us to be at peace with one another, he does so with full recognition that it is not
The Hebrews were constantly complaining... -- Mark 9:30-37 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 1997
The Hebrews were constantly complaining to Moses as they made the journey through the desert toward
The woman who begged Jesus... -- Mark 7:24-37 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 1997
The woman who begged Jesus to heal her daughter was no fool.
The gift of justification (being... -- Romans 3:19-28 -- Reformation Sunday - B -- 1997
The gift of justification (being made right with God) is equivalent to having a death sentence commu
Jesus asks James and John... -- Mark 10:35-45 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 1997
Jesus asks James and John if they were able to drink of the cup of suffering he was facing.
Often church folk become impatient... -- Mark 10:2-16 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - B -- 1997
Often church folk become impatient with children and exclude them because they are inconvenient, imm
There are many priorities in... -- Mark 13:1-8 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 1997
There are many priorities in life. They change as we grow older and we face new situations.
Maxie Dunnam tells of a... -- John 18:33-37 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 1997
Maxie Dunnam tells of a visit he and his wife made to Czechoslovakia after Communism collapsed.
Phil Jackson, coach of the... -- Mark 12:38-44 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - B -- 1997
Phil Jackson, coach of the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association, does not have to lo
Jairus connected his daughter to... -- Mark 5:21-43 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 1997
Jairus connected his daughter to Jesus through his prayer, his petition, his intercession, his reque
The Eat, Drink, and be... -- John 6:56-69 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 1997
The "Eat, Drink, and be Merry" sermon comes at us in every which way through the media, through adv
Luke provides a priceless glimpse... -- Luke 2:41-52 -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - C -- 1997
Luke provides a priceless glimpse into the family life of Jesus' boyhood, providing us with untold h

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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...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

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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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