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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

John Fawcett (1740-1817), born and... -- John 15:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1997
John Fawcett (1740-1817), born and raised in England, was converted under the fiery preaching of Geo
Eric Stone was a painter... -- John 10:11-18 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1997
Eric Stone was a painter and writer. He painted covered bridges and old-fashioned tools.
Shortly after the Civil War... -- John 20:19-31 -- Second Sunday of Easter - B -- 1997
Shortly after the Civil War ended two former Union army officers met by chance on a train.
Mary Artemesia Lathbury (1841-1918), a... -- John 6:1-21 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 1997
Mary Artemesia Lathbury (1841-1918), a daughter of a Methodist preacher, showed promise even as a yo
Two hundred fifty years ago... -- Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 1997
Two hundred fifty years ago David Brainerd (1718-1747), a young missionary to Native Americans durin
One day when Francis of... -- Mark 6:1-13 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 1997
One day when Francis of Assisi was 27 years old he was assisting a pastor at a little church in the
Sometimes God uses those who... -- Mark 6:14-29 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 1997
Sometimes God uses those who lack pedigree in order to fine-
When in 1996 religious columnist... -- Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 1997
When in 1996 religious columnist Mike McManus completed fifteen years of writing his column "Ethics
Living within the Body of... -- 1 Corinthians 12:27-31a -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 1997
Living within the Body of Christ works wonderfully in theory, until we're challenged with the unexpe
The critics of the church... -- John 6:51-58 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - B -- 1997
The critics of the church have always had difficulty understanding what Christians believe and how t
To work for food that... -- John 6:24-35 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 1997
To work for food that perishes is to settle for the merely good instead of the truly inspired.
The American oil tycoon Jean... -- John 6:35, 41-51 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 1997
The American oil tycoon Jean Paul Getty once received a request from a British magazine for a short
Ann and Jim were just... -- Luke 2:22-40 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 1997
Ann and Jim were just ordinary parents who recently were blessed with the gift of a little son.
Jesus` authority and the presence... -- Mark 1:14-20 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 1997
Jesus` authority and the presence of crippling sin in human life make clear that it takes a benevole
When you go to boil... -- Mark 1:4-11 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 1997
When you go to boil water, do you fill the pot with hot water or cold?
If we had been royalty... -- Matthew 2:1-12 -- Epiphany of the Lord - B -- 1997
If we had been royalty, would we have gone to do homage to another?
Marquis de Lafayette, one of... -- Matthew 25:31-46 -- New Year's Day - A, New Year's Day - B, New Year's Day - C -- 1997
Marquis de Lafayette, one of France`s contributions to the success of the American Revolution, could
During the Whitsuntide vacation in... -- Mark 8:31-38 -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 1997
During the Whitsuntide vacation in 1896 a young university student awakens at his home in Gunsbach i
One way to understand Jesus... -- Mark 1:9-15 -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 1997
One way to understand Jesus` temptation, and our own, is to say that the Evil One wants to change so
Catherine Marshall tells the story... -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 1997
Catherine Marshall tells the story of what their family decided to do one fall day.
Including no more than three... -- Mark 9:2-9 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 1997
Including no more than three close followers in his mountaintop epiphany may have been for Our Lord
In the second century, there... -- Mark 1:21-28 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 1997
In the second century, there was an actor who converted to the Christian faith.
This passage talks about the... -- Colossians 3:12-17 -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - C -- 1997
This passage talks about the natural effects of being in love with God.
God's word instructs us to... -- Titus 2:11-14 -- 1997
God's word instructs us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, a
Jesus is the radiance of... -- Hebrews 1:1-4 (5-12) -- 1997
Jesus is the radiance of the Father's glory. The Hebrew word for "glory" is kabad.

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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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