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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

Guest column

Illustration

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Before the first meal is... -- 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - B -- 1996
Before the first meal is served at summer camp, the children
He died at age 63... -- 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - B -- 1996
He died at age 63. Like so many these days, he suffered for
I earned quite a bit... -- 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - B -- 1996
I earned quite a bit of money my freshman year in college
Poor In SpiritInner... -- Matthew 5:1-12 -- All Saints Day - B -- 1996
Poor In SpiritInner vision, inner sighteyes to see beyond
Jim Crane, in one of... -- Matthew 5:1-12 -- All Saints Day - B -- 1996
Jim Crane, in one of his cartoon books, shows two men who
All the world seems to... -- Matthew 5:1-12 -- All Saints Day - B -- 1996
All the world seems to be engaged in the mad pursuit of
The dictionary defines the word... -- Matthew 5:1-12 -- All Saints Day - B -- 1996
The dictionary defines the word "beatitude" as a "blessing,"
In the 1970s when senior... -- Revelation 21:9-11, 22-27 (22:1-5) -- All Saints Day - B -- 1996
In the 1970s when senior citizen housing for independent
As young children, and even... -- Revelation 21:9-11, 22-27 (22:1-5) -- All Saints Day - B -- 1996
As young children, and even as teens and adults, we
Tony Kubek reminisces about playing... -- Revelation 21:9-11, 22-27 (22:1-5) -- All Saints Day - B -- 1996
Tony Kubek reminisces about playing baseball with teammate
This story may or may... -- Revelation 21:9-11, 22-27 (22:1-5) -- All Saints Day - B -- 1996
This story may or may not be true. It seems that several
The first thing George noticed... -- 1 John 3:1-3 -- All Saints Day - B -- 1996
The first thing George noticed was movement. He saw it
In Japan many centuries ago... -- 1 John 3:1-3 -- All Saints Day - B -- 1996
In Japan many centuries ago, crops failed because of a
Twenty-one years after graduating... -- 1 John 3:1-3 -- All Saints Day - B -- 1996
Twenty-one years after graduating from college I became a
Love is our highest word... -- 1 John 3:1-3 -- All Saints Day - B -- 1996
"Love is our highest word and a synonym for God."(Ralph Waldo Emerson)-- Frank
When Rosa Parks declined to... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 1995
When Rosa Parks declined to move and stand at the back of the bus, the driver and some passengers we
This is a true story... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 1995
This is a true story. Tom Kelker was an over-the-road salesman, home only on weekends.
Some 400 volumes about the... -- Luke 4:21-30 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 1995
Some 400 volumes about the presidency of John Fitzgerald Kennedy are now available.
A child leaves home to... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 1995
A child leaves home to live the kind of life that comes to poverty and near destruction.
The obscurity and apparent heterodoxy... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 1995
The obscurity and apparent heterodoxy of much of the work of the English poet, artist and visionary
Love is patient. I have... -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 1995
Love is patient. I have an aunt who is in her 90s.
The advertisement from the Episcopal... -- 1 Corinthians 14:12b-20 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 1995
The advertisement from the Episcopal Church showed a very familiar artwork of Jesus.
A church survey asked all... -- 1 Corinthians 14:12b-20 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 1995
A church survey asked all the members to identify what one thing about the church was the biggest pr
Each time the father commenced... -- 1 Corinthians 14:12b-20 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 1995
Each time the father commenced to spanking his son for wrongdoing, the lad had an out-of-body experi
Beth's brother Brandon, and Patrick... -- 1 Corinthians 14:12b-20 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 1995
Beth's brother Brandon, and Patrick, the boy from next door, might as well have been speaking Martia

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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
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
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
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
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Proper 9 | OT 14 | Pentecost 4
34 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

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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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