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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Ever GreenToday I... -- Romans 8:26-39 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 1996
Ever GreenToday I saw Him, Christ ... body broken,
A college professor gave an... -- Romans 8:26-39 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 1996
A college professor gave an assignment to his class.
A man went into the... -- Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 1996
A man went into the appliance section of a department store.
Dave found himself wandering through... -- Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 1996
Dave found himself wandering through a maze of tables and stacks and racks piled high with things ma
Bob had his sights on... -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 1996
Bob had his sights on a Ph.D. in engineering. He wanted to teach and do research.
My friend, who was also... -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 1996
My friend, who was also raised in a parsonage, told me that someday he wanted to be like his father
Saint Paul is confessing that... -- Romans 7:15-25a -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - A -- 1996
Saint Paul is confessing that, left to his own powers, he cannot live a life that measures up to God
Every day, I discover myself... -- Romans 7:15-25a -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - A -- 1996
Every day, I discover myself embroiled in the same battle as Paul.
I once visited with a... -- Romans 7:15-25a -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - A -- 1996
I once visited with a woman in the hospital who was suffering from lung cancer.
It is said that Calvin... -- Romans 6:1b-11 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - A -- 1996
It is said that Calvin Coolidge was a man of few words.
I had no church relationship... -- Romans 6:1b-11 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - A -- 1996
I had no church relationship until the age of sixteen, except for those Sundays when my parents sent
A young man asked his... -- Romans 6:1b-11 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - A -- 1996
A young man asked his religion teacher a wise question.
As any hiker knows, an... -- Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - A -- 1996
As any hiker knows, an excellent backpack is a wonderful thing.
The path of life is... -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - A -- 1996
The path of life is strewn with obstacles.
It has been said that... -- Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - A -- 1996
It has been said that Christianity is always one generation away from extinction.
Many of us consider our... -- Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - A -- 1996
Many of us consider our religion a burden. We try not to offend God or man, but it is difficult.
In 1994 the city planners... -- Matthew 10:40-42 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - A -- 1996
In 1994 the city planners in San Luis Obispo, California, introduced a measure that would have requi
I recently visited in the... -- Romans 8:1-11 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 1996
I recently visited in the home of a family that had requested that their two daughters be baptized.
Scientists had triumphed! The... -- Romans 8:1-11 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 1996
Scientists had triumphed!
A good athlete is someone... -- Romans 8:1-11 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 1996
A good athlete is someone who learns to compete within his/her limits.
As each day passes, people... -- Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 1996
As each day passes, people that we thought never would be interested in God are coming to faith.
A preacher's son was born... -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 1996
A preacher's son was born on a farm near Hamilton, Missouri, in 1875.
Master teachers know the power... -- Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 1996
Master teachers know the power of relationship and use the teacher-student relationship to its full
It is extremely disappointing to... -- Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 1996
It is extremely disappointing to Christians when their friends and fellow members lose interest in t
A class of third graders... -- Romans 8:12-25 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 1996
A class of third graders were asked to write an essay on "The Ideal Father." After collecting their

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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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