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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

In 1866, in a famous... -- Acts 13:15-16, 26-33 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
In 1866, in a famous speech on reform, William Gladstone declared to the English House of Commons, "
Her name was Annie and... -- Revelation 7:9-17 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
Her name was Annie and she was dying of kidney failure.
As Christians, we are fond... -- Revelation 7:9-17 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
As Christians, we are fond of depicting the world as "a vale of tears," and speak in our scriptures,
We came to the crest... -- Revelation 7:9-17 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
We came to the crest of a hill and the sight before us was breathtaking.
Our two-year-old son... -- Revelation 7:9-17 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
Our two-year-old son was unhappy with his mother and me because we had reprimanded him on a matter.
If you are the Messiah... -- John 10:22-30 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
"If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." Emily Dickinson has a lovely line of poetry that goes
More than once Jesus tells... -- John 10:22-30 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
More than once Jesus tells that he and the heavenly Father are truly one -- in complete harmony with
The great Italian scientist Galileo... -- John 10:22-30 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
The great Italian scientist Galileo Galilei encountered fierce opposition from ecclesiastical author
The church was full on... -- John 10:22-30 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
The church was full on Easter Sunday.
In 1920, Bill Wamby, a... -- Acts 11:1-18 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
In 1920, Bill Wamby, a second baseman for the Cleveland Indians, made the first and only unassisted
The Presiding Bishop of the... -- Acts 11:1-18 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Edmond Browning, has gone on record with the controver
The problem of the early... -- Acts 11:11-18 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
The problem of the early church receiving Gentiles and the resulting controversy it caused for Peter
Earlier in the evening, Ginny... -- Acts 11:1-18 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - C -- 1995
Earlier in the evening, Ginny had been almost overwhelmed by the sky's splendor as the sun slowly dr
Adela Rogers St. John's novel... -- 1 Kings 17:17-24 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 1995
Adela Rogers St.
Bethany had been writing songs... -- Galatians 1:11-24 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 1995
Bethany had been writing songs since she had begun playing the piano.
I lost my faith in... -- Galatians 1:11-24 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 1995
I lost my faith in my 20s.
Paul was a person with... -- Galatians 1:11-24 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 1995
Paul was a person with four "I's" in his spiritual life: "I want you all to understand ...
A young man once inquired... -- Galatians 1:11-24 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 1995
A young man once inquired of his pastor why he had to go to school in order to become a minister.
Jason and his dad had... -- Luke 8:26-39 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 1995
Jason and his dad had been in the mountains for three days on a back-packing excursion, one they had
Living among the tombs is... -- Luke 8:26-39 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 1995
"Living among the tombs" is an epithet not simply for the antisocial and demon oppressed, but equall
I don't want to go... -- Luke 8:26-39 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 1995
"I don't want to go back," she said to the counselor at the ropes challenge camp.
Scott Peck, in his book... -- Luke 8:26-39 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 1995
Scott Peck, in his book People of the Lie, describes an exorcism at which he was present.
Fear and reverence are often... -- Luke 7:11-17 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 1995
Fear and reverence are often intertwined in life and relationships.
Have you ever lost something... -- Luke 7:11-17 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 1995
Have you ever lost something irreplaceable only to have it found again? I have!
A woman lay dying in... -- Luke 7:11-17 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 1995
A woman lay dying in a hospital bed as her devoted husband sat beside her with tears falling down hi

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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
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Proper 8 | OT 13 | Pentecost 3
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Proper 9 | OT 14 | Pentecost 4
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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
1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7) 8-15a
Life can be frightening sometimes. Thus it is both comforting but disconcerting to find a giant of faith like Elijah to fear the future. On that matter Martin Luther once claimed:
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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