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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

Guest column

Illustration

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Catholic Archbishop Fulton Sheen in... -- 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 1995
Catholic Archbishop Fulton Sheen in 1973 spoke to 20,000 Lutheran young people at the Astrodome in H
In the summer of 1990... -- 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 1995
In the summer of 1990 in Detroit, a group of workers digging up ground to put in a sewer line discov
The small church had been... -- 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 1995
The small church had been racked by controversy for years.
Looking back over the last... -- 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 1995
Looking back over the last couple of years, Amelia could only be amazed at the changes that had occu
There is a cartoon about... -- John 2:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 1995
There is a cartoon about a man who was trying to sell a bus to a church.
In 395 an educated young... -- John 2:1-11 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 1995
In 395 an educated young man was working with the Bishop of Hippo as an assistant.
All of us like, and... -- Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 1995
All of us like, and maybe even need, to know that we're doing a good job.
As a very young man... -- Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 1995
As a very young man I can remember an extremely vivid display of the aurora borealis, or northern li
There were about 100 guests... -- Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 1995
There were about 100 guests -- family and friends of the physician who was retiring after 50 years o
Ask most Christians when and... -- Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 1995
Ask most Christians when and where they were baptized and -- most of the time -- you receive a respo
January is a grim time... -- Isaiah 62:1-5 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 1995
January is a grim time at the university where I work: students are in reading period and exams; the
Many years ago, in the... -- Isaiah 62:1-5 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 1995
Many years ago, in the earlier days of my ministry, a dear lady suggested I would be a more effectiv
Spirit of God descend upon... -- Acts 8:14-17 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 1995
"Spirit of God descend upon my heart ..." Strains from the familiar hymn ran through Theodore's thou
During the Civil War, during... -- Acts 10:34-38 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 1995
During the Civil War, during the bloodiest fighting in the history of this nation, the Presbyterians
Howard had secretly resented his... -- Acts 10:34-38 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 1995
"Howard" had secretly resented his younger brother since childhood.
There once was a woman... -- Acts 10:34-38 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 1995
There once was a woman who was consumed by fear.
John Updike's novel Roger's Version... -- Acts 10:34-38 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 1995
John Updike's novel Roger's Version is the story of a theological professor engaged in an extended d
We all have read stories... -- Isaiah 43:1-7 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 1995
We all have read stories, gone to movies, and watched television shows whose story lines depicted in
The people of Israel are... -- Isaiah 43:1-7 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 1995
The people of Israel are blessed with a rich history of symbols, a contemporary example of which is
So how many New Year's... -- Isaiah 42:1-7 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 1995
So how many New Year's Resolutions did you make?
I remember a man who... -- Isaiah 42:1-7 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 1995
I remember a man who suffered for several years from emphysema.
Lancelot Andrewes, who died as... -- Isaiah 42:1-7 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 1995
Lancelot Andrewes, who died as Bishop of Winchester in 1626, was one of the formative figures of the
A senior high Sunday school... -- Isaiah 42:1-7 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 1995
A senior high Sunday school class was playing the "What If?" game.
Peter and John had grown... -- Acts 8:14-17 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 1995
Peter and John had grown up with the same bigotry against Samaritans as had their peers.
Confirmation, the sacrament by which... -- Acts 8:14-17 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 1995
"Confirmation," the sacrament by which we are strengthened by the Holy Spirit, seems to be losing it

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The Political Pulpit

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
and more...
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...

New & Featured This Week

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John Jamison
Object: A pig stuffed animal.

* * *

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.

Special Occasion

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