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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Claire and Dan pulled into... -- Matthew 5:1-12 -- All Saints Day - C -- 1995
Claire and Dan pulled into the shopping center looking for the furniture store.
He awoke with a start... -- Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18 -- All Saints Day - C -- 1995
He awoke with a start. His heart was racing, sweat beaded his forehead. What a dream!
As we approach the end... -- Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18 -- All Saints Day - C -- 1995
As we approach the end of this millennium, many people have become anxious as they seek to interpret
You must understand, my daughter... -- Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18 -- All Saints Day - C -- 1995
"You must understand, my daughter is not to participate in any Halloween activities in the classroom
John had been the Pastor... -- Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18 -- All Saints Day - C -- 1995
John had been the Pastor at St. Luke's Church for almost 45 years. St.
Have you read the washing... -- Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14 -- All Saints Day - C -- 1995
Have you read the washing instructions on the label of your favorite garment lately?
We teach by example. A... -- Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14 -- All Saints Day - C -- 1995
We teach by example. A pastor tells of a time when his four-
Patty was old enough to... -- Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14 -- All Saints Day - C -- 1995
Patty was old enough to be fascinated with household chores but not old enough to be asked to help w
A woman in my congregation... -- Sirach 2:(1-6) 7-11 -- All Saints Day - C -- 1995
A woman in my congregation recently came to me for counseling and in her despair poured out tears of
The last three days had... -- Sirach 2:(1-6) 7-11 -- All Saints Day - C -- 1995
The last three days had been so impossible, they sounded like fiction. But Marilyn had lived them.
Patience and persistence. The old... -- Sirach 2:(1-6) 7-11 -- All Saints Day - C -- 1995
"Patience and persistence." The old man thought of those words of his pastor as he sat in the whe
A friend of Pope John... -- Sirach 2:1-6 7-11 -- All Saints Day - C -- 1995
A friend of Pope John Paul II had suffered during World War II as a guinea pig in vicious medical ex
If you turn on the... -- Isaiah 26:1-4, 8-9, 12-13, 19-21 -- All Saints Day - C -- 1995
If you turn on the religious channel, many of the television preachers have all the answers for you
An elderly minister once told... -- John 1:1-14 -- 1995
An elderly minister once told me that through the years he had filed his sermons after preaching the
Sometimes the light that came... -- John 1:1-14 -- 1995
Sometimes the light that came into the world gets dimmed.
One if by land and... -- John 1:1-14 -- 1995
"One if by land and two if by sea." With those words the patriots agreed on the signal to be given f
When we're away from friends... -- Hebrews 1:1-4 (5-12) -- 1995
When we're away from friends and family for a long time, we may become "homesick" for them.
A girl was sitting next... -- John 1:1-14 -- 1995
A girl was sitting next to her dad, drawing, while he read the newspaper.
I can name many pastors... -- Hebrews 1:1-4 (5-12) -- 1995
I can name many pastors I admire and have heard many times, but I can't remember the slightest thing
It is interesting that more... -- Hebrews 11:1-4 (5-12) -- 1995
It is interesting that more people fear the Internal Revenue Service than God.
Russian peasants pass along from... -- Luke 2:1-20 -- 1995
Russian peasants pass along from generation to generation an interesting Christmas story.
Many years ago, Thomas A... -- Luke 2:1-20 -- 1995
Many years ago, Thomas A. Fry, Jr., asked people what they wanted for Christmas.
PilgrimageLet me cross... -- Luke 2:1-20 -- 1995
PilgrimageLet me cross the desert with the Wise Men.
During a children's sermon on... -- Luke 2:1-20 -- 1995
During a children's sermon on Christmas day, a pastor said to the young people, "Jesus was born in a
Like Herod, the Grinch wanted... -- Matthew 2:13-23 -- 1995
Like Herod, the Grinch wanted to steal Christmas, only to discover it has a deeper meaning than eith

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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 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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