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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Why is it that every... -- Hebrews 10:5-10 -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C -- 1997
Why is it that every time I go to buy laundry detergent, the bottle says, "New and Improved"?
Sometimes what we request from... -- Philippians 4:4-7 -- Third Sunday of Advent - C -- 1997
Sometimes what we request from God is not always what is best for us.
God is faithful to complete... -- Philippians 1:3-11 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 1997
God is faithful to complete the good work he began in you.
Mark Twain once offered this... -- James 5:13-20 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 1997
Mark Twain once offered this advice.
We watch the pool balls... -- James 3:13--4:3, 7-8a -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 1997
We watch the pool balls rolling around the table.
The words came out of... -- James 3:1-12 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 1997
The words came out of his mouth faster than he could think what he was doing. He was mad.
Back in Texas in 1917... -- James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 1997
Back in Texas in 1917 the state's governor, James Ferguson, refused to sign a bill that would have p
In the South American country... -- Hebrews 7:23-28 -- Reformation Sunday - B -- 1997
In the South American country of Colombia, there is a Roman Catholic church where people take their
At the wedding reception the... -- Hebrews 5:1-10 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 1997
At the wedding reception the people clamored for a word from the groom, but he always refused.
It is not usual for... -- Hebrews 4:12-16 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B -- 1997
It is not usual for soldiers to assess their commanding officers, but they nevertheless do so in the
When I was in high... -- Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - B -- 1997
When I was in high school, in physics class we were taught that at the center of each atom was a nuc
Keep at it, we hear... -- Hebrews 10:11-14 (15-18) 19-25 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 1997
Keep at it, we hear. Hang in there. And we wonder about our faith at times. Why do we bother?
In his book Christ... -- 1 Timothy 2:1-7 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 1997
In his book Christ and Culture, H.
Your work is coming along... -- Revelation 21:1-6a -- All Saints Day - B -- 1997
Your work is coming along nicely. I'm sure that it will be grand when it is finished.
John was adopted. He was... -- Romans 8:12-17 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 1997
John was adopted.
GET A LIFE! I do... -- 1 John 5:9-13 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - B -- 1997
"GET A LIFE!" I do not know the origin of this expression, but it seems to be an "in" thing to say i
Along with the birth of... -- Romans 8:22-27 -- 1997
Along with the birth of anything there is normally pain, tumult, and distress.
We tend to like power... -- Ephesians 1:15-23 -- Ascension of the Lord - B -- 1997
We tend to like power when it works on our behalf, but rather fear it when it works against us.
William Cowper suffered from a... -- 1 Corinthians 3:16-23 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 1997
William Cowper suffered from a terrible inferiority complex.
To accept the grace of... -- 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 1997
To accept the grace of God in a life-changing way is to be confronted decisively with the passionate
Columnist Leonard Pitt claims to... -- Mark 4:26-34 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - B -- 1997
Columnist Leonard Pitt claims to be a history buff despite what he learned in school.
Rose Marie L. Burks, professor... -- Mark 3:20-35 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - B -- 1997
Rose Marie L.
The heart and the lungs... -- 2 Corinthians 4:5-12 -- 1997
The heart and the lungs are the most vital of organs. They are the body's treasure.
Do you believe in luck... -- John 12:20-33 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 1997
"Do you believe in luck?" someone once asked Jean Cocteau, the twentieth century French writer.
Hearing Paul's words in 1... -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 -- 1997
Hearing Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 reminds me of how Greek I am.

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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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