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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Therefore what God has joined... -- Mark 10:2-16 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - B -- 1994
"Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate." The song goes, "Love and marriage,
In basketball one of the... -- Hebrews 3:1-6 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B -- 1994
In basketball one of the drills that a player learns is how to take a charge.
Dee Jepsen was an assistant... -- Mark 10:35-45 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 1994
Dee Jepsen was an assistant to her husband when he served as a member of the United States Senate.
For though by this time... -- Hebrews 5:12-6:1, 9-12 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 1994
"For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic el
His given name was Arnold... -- Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 1994
His given name was Arnold and we always called him Arny, Arny Krantz.
The story of King Midas... -- James 5:1-6 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 1994
The story of King Midas is indeed a tragic one.
We are watching television, when... -- Mark 1:4-11 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 1994
We are watching television, when suddenly a voice breaks in and says, "We interrupt this program to
Norman Maclean was in his... -- Mark 1:14-20 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 1994
Norman Maclean was in his 70s when he wrote his first book of fiction based upon his childhood exper
Have you ever thought about... -- Colossians 3:1-4 -- Easter Day - B -- 1994
Have you ever thought about how much the Christian life is like a glider airplane?
Have you ever noticed that... -- John 20:19-31 -- Second Sunday of Easter - B -- 1994
Have you ever noticed that a gift implies responsibility?
Many legends have been told... -- John 6:4-15 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
Many legends have been told about the great wisdom of King Solomon.
It had been a long... -- Mark 14:1--15:47 -- Passion Sunday - B -- 1994
It had been a long, cold night. Now, in the wee hours of morning, he approached the welcoming fire.
Peter's protest and subsequent failure... -- John 1:1-7, 31b-35 -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 1994
Peter's protest and subsequent failure are all too familiar to those who have lived with an alcoholi
In the twilight of his... -- 2 Corinthians 4:5-12 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - B -- 1994
In the twilight of his career, Mickey Mantle could no longer run as fast, hit quite as well or play
See John Dominic Crossan's book... -- Mark 4:26-34 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - B -- 1994
See John Dominic Crossan's book, The Historical Jesus, page 276, for some interesting facts about th
We have the tendency to... -- Mark 4:35-41 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 1994
We have the tendency to act very differently under pressure.
General H. Norman Schwarzkopf ends... -- John 15:1-8 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1994
General H.
There are three results of... -- John 15:9-17 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 1994
There are three results of the inward union with Christ: effectual prayer; fruitfulness in character
There is no question that... -- 1 Corinthians 12:4-13 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 1994
There is no question that in the first century people believed that physical healing was a gift from
Three-year-old Jessica had... -- Romans 8:14-17 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 1994
Three-year-old Jessica had been adopted a few days after her birth by the DeBoer family of Michigan.
The Free Methodist Church in... -- Sirach 44:1-10, 13-14 -- All Saints Day - B -- 1994
The Free Methodist Church in eastern Michigan held annual camp meetings and conferences out in the w
When we look at the... -- Hebrews 9:24-28 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 1994
When we look at the sacrificial system of the Old Testament, we have to ask, "Did the sacrificing of
One of the great missionaries... -- Matthew 6:25-33 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 1994
One of the great missionaries of our century was E. Stanley Jones.
No one can come to... -- John 6:41-51 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 1994
No one can come to Christ unless he or she is drawn by God.
She had heard the words... -- John 6:56-69 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 1994
She had heard the words all her life: "Experience is the best teacher." She realized how that for he

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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
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Easter 7
20 – Sermons
170+ – Illustrations / Stories
26 – Children's Sermons / Resources
24 – Worship Resources
20 – Commentary / Exegesis
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160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
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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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