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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

It is almost impossible for... -- Luke 1:39-45 (46-55) -- 1997
It is almost impossible for people not to express the joy and happiness that exists deep within thei
A new member of a... -- Luke 3:7-18 -- Third Sunday of Advent - C -- 1997
A new member of a synod staff was leading a worship service in one of the congregations of the Syno
One of the most inspiring... -- Luke 3:1-6 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 1997
One of the most inspiring songs in the musical Godspell is the marvelous opening lyric titled
Go ahead and smoke, why... -- Mark 9:38-50 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 1997
"Go ahead and smoke, why don't you?" "You are such a goody-
Four generations of the Higginson... -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-24 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 1997
Four generations of the Higginson family were all gathered for the annual reunion.
The pleasant waitress arrived, and... -- Mark 7:24-37 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 1997
The pleasant waitress arrived, and the customer said: "I'll have the special for today, and a cup of
It's the law! No one... -- Romans 3:19-28 -- Reformation Sunday - B -- 1997
It's the law! No one seems to be getting as much bad press as police officers, not even attorneys!
Jesus learned obedience through what... -- Hebrews 5:1-10 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 1997
Jesus learned obedience through what he suffered.
Donald McGavran, father of the... -- Mark 10:17-31 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B -- 1997
Donald McGavran, father of the Church Growth movement in America, developed his principles of church
That children may be born... -- Mark 10:2-16 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - B -- 1997
"That children may be born and nurtured in families, and trained in Godliness, and that human societ
It was an ancient Christian... -- Matthew 6:25-33 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 1997
It was an ancient Christian who advised, "Love God and do as you please." Jesus seemed to advocate a
The night is pitch dark... -- Revelation 1:4b-8 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 1997
The night is pitch dark. There is no moon. The city lights are far away.
George Gershwin, the famous U.S... -- Hebrews 10:11-14 (15-18) 19-25 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 1997
George Gershwin, the famous U.S.
The Santa Claus myth gets... -- Hebrews 9:24-28 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - B -- 1997
The Santa Claus "myth" gets more difficult to carry on as children become older.
William Sloane Coffin, former pastor... -- John 11:32-44 -- All Saints Day - B -- 1997
William Sloane Coffin, former pastor of Riverside Church in New York City and prominent social acti
The promise of the Spirit... -- John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 -- 1997
The promise of the Spirit is that He will lead us into the truth. Lynne V.
To be born from above... -- John 3:1-17 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 1997
To be born from above means to make a clean and complete break with one's past and to start a brand
Saint Paul was not always... -- John 17:6-19 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - B -- 1997
Saint Paul was not always a fascinating preacher to listen to.
A current critic of the... -- Luke 24:44-53 -- Ascension of the Lord - B -- 1997
A current critic of the Church remarked that religious faith is more often a "dull habit rather tha
Emperor Cyrus II, sometimes called... -- 1 Corinthians 3:16-23 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 1997
Emperor Cyrus II, sometimes called "Cyrus the Great," became an emperor to be feared after rising fr
There is debate over whether... -- Mark 4:26-34 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - B -- 1997
There is debate over whether Jesus used parables to conceal or to reveal the truth.
I find it difficult to... -- Mark 4:35-41 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 1997
I find it difficult to be critical of the disciples for their terror in the midst of the storm's wa
Sometimes no answer is the... -- Mark 3:20-35 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - B -- 1997
Sometimes no answer is the best answer.
Much anguish is caused by... -- Mark 2:23--3:6 -- 1997
Much anguish is caused by people who value precepts to the neglect of persons.
The liner notes to the... -- John 12:20-33 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 1997
The liner notes to the compact disc say, "Listen for the special instrumental solo in the middle of

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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
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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
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Proper 9 | OT 14 | Pentecost 4
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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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