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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

The bookshelf stereo system was... -- Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 1995
The bookshelf stereo system was firmly installed above the dormitory desk.
It was a bitterly cold... -- Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 1995
It was a bitterly cold morning just before Christmas.
Sometimes I wonder if anyone... -- Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 1995
Sometimes I wonder if anyone still loves the human race.
A young man who was... -- Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 1995
A young man who was a very good football player was being considered by a number of colleges.
Isabella had been brought up... -- Isaiah 6:1-8 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 1995
Isabella had been brought up to stand on her own two feet; asking for help was about as foreign to h
The little boy, a cowboy... -- Isaiah 6:1-8 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 1995
The little boy, a cowboy fan, came home from Sunday school excited because he had heard a cowboy sto
Some of the darkest days... -- Isaiah 6:1-8 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 1995
Some of the darkest days in our nation's history were the Civil War.
Several years ago, a man... -- Isaiah 6:1-8 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 1995
Several years ago, a man died, revived, and related the following near-death experience: he hovered
He was always out to... -- Genesis 11:1-9 -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 1995
He was always out to make a name for himself, to be someone greater and more important than he was.
Recently Anne, Mary and Nancy... -- Genesis 11:1-9 -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 1995
Recently Anne, Mary and Nancy attended a Leadership Development Seminar.
The building of the Tower... -- Genesis 11:1-9 -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 1995
The building of the Tower of Babel was one of the earliest events in which the presumptuous nature o
John could not understand how... -- Genesis 11:1-9 -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 1995
John could not understand how it happened!
The young pastor, his wife... -- Acts 2:1-21 -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 1995
The young pastor, his wife, daughter and visiting great uncle were startled to hear the tornado warn
I suppose this is a... -- Acts 2:1-21 -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 1995
I suppose this is a bit of confession. Many people have "mis-
I did not like to... -- Acts 2:1-21 -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 1995
I did not like to be left out when I was a child.
Out watering her summer garden... -- 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13 -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 1995
Out watering her summer garden, Martha began to reflect on its variety.
Priding itself as the church... -- 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13 -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 1995
Priding itself as the church where the "Spirit of God is highly manifest," and tired of its denomina
In upper Thailand, there is... -- Matthew 6:25-33 -- Thanksgiving Day - C -- 1995
In upper Thailand, there is a good deal of poverty.
It may come as a... -- Matthew 6:25-33 -- Thanksgiving Day - C -- 1995
It may come as a surprise to some people to learn that the original purpose of the YMCA when it was
Betty Layman Receveur tells the... -- Matthew 6:25-33 -- Thanksgiving Day - C -- 1995
Betty Layman Receveur tells the story of the founding of Kentucky as the fifteenth state admitted to
Unfortunately, we are all aware... -- Jeremiah 23:1-6 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - C -- 1995
Unfortunately, we are all aware of numerous stories that exist about pastors, rabbis, teachers, coac
What does it mean to... -- Jeremiah 23:1-6 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - C -- 1995
What does it mean to "shepherd" the "sheep" of a congregation?
Howard liked to get up... -- Jeremiah 23:1-6 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - C -- 1995
Howard liked to get up with the sun.
In the early days of... -- Jeremiah 23:1-6 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - C -- 1995
In the early days of World War II, a Jewish farmer, his wife and three teenage sons were taken by th
Who is the king? a... -- 2 Samuel 5:1-3 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - C -- 1995
"Who is the king?" a young boy said to his father.

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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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29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
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Proper 8 | OT 13 | Pentecost 3
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27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
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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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