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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

It is sometimes claimed that... -- John 2:13-22 -- 1997
It is sometimes claimed that the driving out of the money changers was the last straw that broke the
The wedding music was to... -- John 15:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1997
The wedding music was to be provided by a previously recorded tape.
Allen Meck would paint this... -- John 10:11-18 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1997
Allen Meck would paint this word picture for his listeners: "Sheep are walking across a beautiful gr
Do not touch! We see... -- John 20:19-31 -- Second Sunday of Easter - B -- 1997
"Do not touch!" We see the "Wet Paint" sign, but we still have to test it.
Sometimes, God, you bless me... -- John 6:1-21 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 1997
"Sometimes, God, you bless me with words that spill out onto the paper in great pools of inspiratio
Sometimes we grow sentimental about... -- Mark 6:1-13 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 1997
Sometimes we grow sentimental about the old hometown but we need to balance this with the realizatio
Mark reminds us that the... -- Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 1997
Mark reminds us that the clamor of the friends of the sick and diseased was so overwhelming that the
Store managers put special items... -- Mark 6:14-29 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 1997
Store managers put special items out in a highly traveled area so that when shoppers, who are en rou
These passages deal with the... -- Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 1997
These passages deal with the inwardness of genuine religion as opposed to religious activity which m
As different parts of Christ's... -- 1 Corinthians 12:27-31a -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 1997
As different parts of Christ's Body, we are to function and live a productive and fruitful life.
Trucks go by our house... -- John 6:35, 41-51 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 1997
Trucks go by our house, and you cannot hear anything else over their rumble; a storm occurs, and yo
This teenager was a loser... -- John 6:51-58 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - B -- 1997
This teenager was a loser. No doubt about it.
An advertisement that has been... -- John 6:24-35 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 1997
An advertisement that has been played often on television is the one that says, "Just do it!" Chaos
So the gatherers of fish... -- Mark 1:14-20 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 1997
So the gatherers of fish were to be trained how to gather followers for the Master.
Though cousins are blood related... -- Mark 1:4-11 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 1997
Though cousins are blood related they should be close to us. But many times they are very distant.
Genealogies are often regarded as... -- Matthew 2:1-12 -- Epiphany of the Lord - B -- 1997
Genealogies are often regarded as boring and monotonous. They have their bright spots, however.
Mother Teresa is one of... -- Matthew 25:31-46 -- New Year's Day - B -- 1997
Mother Teresa is one of the towering saints of our century.
How those words had stung... -- Mark 8:31-38 -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 1997
How those words had stung Peter when Jesus spoke to him, "Get behind me, Satan.
The Gospel is the story... -- Mark 1:9-15 -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 1997
The Gospel is the story of God`s Kingdom and those who are members of it.
An old adage says: What... -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 1997
An old adage says: "What you don`t know won`t hurt you.
It was a luminous, never... -- Mark 9:2-9 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 1997
It was a luminous, never-to-be-forgotten moment for James, Peter, and John.
Lucky was a notorious racketeer... -- Mark 1:21-28 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 1997
Lucky was a notorious racketeer who made his fame through illegal gambling and numbers games.
Italians call it Contra... -- 1 Peter 4:12-19 -- 1997
Italians call it Contra Lamontra, the "Trail of Truth." It's an athletic event of simplicity,
Time will tell if the... -- John 1:1-14 -- 1997
Time will tell if the Black and Decker "Snake Light" lives up to its claim: "I get around, around, a
A first-person dramatic monologue... -- Luke 2:1-20 -- 1997
A first-person dramatic monologue to introduce the text creatively: "How long will it last?

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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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