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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

When we were children we... -- Mark 10:46-52 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 1994
When we were children we never tired of asking each other, "If you had three wishes, what would you
The travelling executive decided that... -- Isaiah 35:4-7 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 1994
The travelling executive decided that as a test of ingenuity he would see if he could avoid tipping
One of the bishops of... -- James 4:7-12 (13-5:6) -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 1994
One of the bishops of France told this story in one of his sermons.
A man was attending a... -- 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 1994
A man was attending a meeting at a country club he had joined only a few days earlier.
Often times Andrew is delegated... -- John 6:1-21 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 1994
Often times Andrew is delegated to walking in the shadow of his big brother Simon Peter.
The book Chariots of Fire... -- 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 1994
The book Chariots of Fire by W. J.
No doubt Joseph was grateful... -- Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 -- 1994
No doubt Joseph was grateful for his dreams, but it also must have seemed strange that Herod the Gre
Judith, a spritely woman in... -- John 20:1-18 -- Easter Day - B -- 1994
Judith, a spritely woman in her mid-70s, recently had an "Easter experience when, through a series
The story of Jesus is... -- Mark 14:12-26 -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 1994
The story of Jesus is truly a sad story. It is the story of a promise made and then unkept.
The film Cool Hand Luke... -- John 6:41-51 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 1994
The film Cool Hand Luke depicts life on a southern chain gang.
The vital connection between God's... -- John 6:56-69 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 1994
The vital connection between God's Spirit and life is established from the very beginning.
A Tap On The Shoulder... -- Ezekiel 2:2-5 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 1994
A Tap On The Shoulder by Jim BrittYou were in a hurry.
My father and mother were... -- Mark 6:7-12 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 1994
My father and mother were planning a long summer vacation for the entire family; we'd be gone six or
Paul commands us to live... -- Ephesians 4:1-6 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 1994
Paul commands us to live a worthy life, even in the face of adversity.
In any park you will... -- John 6:24-35 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 1994
In any park you will find pigeons and other birds gathered around the usual spots where people feed
Let everything that you do... -- 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 1994
Let everything that you do be a witness to the gospel.
We all learned the difference... -- Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 -- 1994
We all learned the difference between a metaphor and a simile when we were in grade school.
Lieutenant Fisher was in his... -- John 20:1-18 -- Easter Day - B -- 1994
Lieutenant Fisher was in his final month of duty in Vietnam when it happened.
Before he was famous, Michelangelo... -- Mark 14:12-16 -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 1994
Before he was famous, Michelangelo was a student of sculpture, and an unbeliever.
There is a story about... -- Mark 3:20-35 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - B -- 1994
There is a story about a man who took a tour of an extraordinary art exhibition, which included seve
The country of Zaire is... -- John 14:15-21 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1994
The country of Zaire is in the middle of Africa. It used to be known as the Belgian Congo.
In his book The Living... -- John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 1994
In his book The Living Reminder, Henri Nouwen discusses the difference between an absence that occur
BalloonsMemories rise like... -- John 3:1-17 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 1994
BalloonsMemories rise like bright balloonsriding mind-born winds,
The warden of a prison... -- Revelation 21:1-6a -- All Saints Day - B -- 1994
The warden of a prison called in a man who was serving time for fraud.
In the NFL play-offs... -- John 20:19-31 -- Second Sunday of Easter - B -- 1994
In the NFL play-offs last year the Houston Oilers built a huge first half lead against the Buffalo B

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UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Ascension of the Lord
34 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Easter 7
20 – Sermons
170+ – Illustrations / Stories
26 – Children's Sermons / Resources
24 – Worship Resources
20 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
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160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
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John Jamison
Object: A pig stuffie.

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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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