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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

In the early church, many... -- Romans 5:1-5 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 1995
In the early church, many considered martyrdom to be the norm for Christians.
A Bright Shining Lie is... -- Romans 5:1-5 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 1995
A Bright Shining Lie is Neil Sheehan's story of John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam.
We were hiking up a... -- Revelation 4:1-11 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 1995
We were hiking up a section of the Appalachian Trail as it wound its serpentine way northward throug
They say that experience is... -- Revelation 4:1-11 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 1995
They say that experience is the best teacher.
The explosions on Jupiter in... -- Revelation 4:1-11 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 1995
The explosions on Jupiter in July, 1994, caused by comet fragments striking the great planet, remind
Traditionally, it is believed that... -- Revelation 4:1-11 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 1995
Traditionally, it is believed that John wrote the Book of Revelation while in exile on the island of
Gil and Bob were good... -- John 16:12-15 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 1995
Gil and Bob were good friends who were now enjoying their final year in high school together.
She walked unannounced into my... -- John 16:12-15 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 1995
She walked unannounced into my office, a stranger to the church and to me.
In a Quaker sort of... -- John 16:12-15 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 1995
In a Quaker sort of way, we could illustrate this passage with just three words: Mine is thine.
A man was hired to... -- John 16:12-15 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 1995
A man was hired to sell used cars.
It had been so many... -- 1 Kings 21:1-10, (11-14), 15-21a -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 1995
It had been so many years since the incident, Silvia had lost count; it was something beyond 40 -- a
The tragedy of Ahab and... -- 1 Kings 21:1-10, (11-14), 15-21a -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 1995
The tragedy of Ahab and Jezebel is reminiscent of Shakespeare's Macbeth, who after being entreated b
Ring a bell for Jezebel... -- 1 Kings 21:1-10, (11-14), 15-21a -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 1995
Ring a bell for Jezebel, the sneak behind the scene.
After the Gulf War, a... -- 1 Kings 21:1-10, (11-14), 15-21a -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 1995
After the Gulf War, a soldier returned home only to be killed accidentally in a random act of inner
Christian pastors and laypeople are... -- 1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11) 22-30, 41-43 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 1995
Christian pastors and laypeople are sometimes invited to offer a prayer of invocation at public gath
The late archbishop Fulton Sheen... -- 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13 -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 1995
The late archbishop Fulton Sheen spoke to 20,000 Lutheran young people in the Houston Astrodome in 1
A person asked an old... -- 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13 -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 1995
A person asked an old monk how the community got along despite all its diversity.
Sports are important to Americans... -- John 14:8-17 (25-27) -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 1995
Sports are important to Americans.
The University of Minnesota in... -- John 14:8-17 (25-27) -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 1995
The University of Minnesota in Minneapolis has, for many years, been studying what human traits are
Corrie ten Boom and her... -- John 14:8-17 (25-27) -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 1995
Corrie ten Boom and her sister were jailed by the Nazis when it was discovered that they were hiding
Grudgingly one has to acknowledge... -- John 14:8-17 (25-27) -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 1995
Grudgingly one has to acknowledge Sun Myung Moon's success with young people.
The Spirit of God acts... -- John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 1995
The Spirit of God acts as an Advocate of truth, giving validity to what Jesus of Nazareth said and d
There are certain well-known... -- John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 1995
There are certain well-known phrases that combine both a threat and a promise.
A small church held a... -- John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 1995
A small church held a mid-week service in which fervent prayers were uttered by new converts seeking
He was a businessman. A... -- John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 1995
He was a businessman. A stern, impassive facade was a necessity in his line of work.

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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
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...

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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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