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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

There is a war going... -- Ezekiel 2:2-5 -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 1994
There is a war going on. The call to Christian discipleship is a battle cry.
Agnes Sanford wrote three books... -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 1994
Agnes Sanford wrote three books about the healing power of prayer and the intention of God to heal p
When the Beatles came to... -- Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 1994
When the Beatles came to the United States in the mid-60s their travel plans and hotel accommodation
At the height of the... -- Ephesians 4:1-6 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 1994
At the height of the Los Angeles riot, Rodney King appeared on the television and made this halting
Often proving who you really... -- John 6:24-35 -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 1994
Often proving who you really are can be a problem.
On Saturday, March 13, 1993... -- Mark 1:29-39 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 1994
On Saturday, March 13, 1993, a blizzard hit the eastern portion of the United States, dumping up to
It was the mid to... -- 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 1994
It was the mid to late 1700s and a new nation was carving itself out of a new land.
Billy Graham told the following... -- Mark 8:31-39 -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
Billy Graham told the following story in New York in 1992.
A convenience store clerk left... -- Ephesians 1:3-14 -- 1994
A convenience store clerk left work at midnight. He had to walk home through a cemetery.
He had a full life... -- Hebrews 3:1-6 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B -- 1994
He had a full life, building a small chain of fabric stores and accumulating a small fortune.
TATTERSShredded, tornbr... -- Mark 10:35-45 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 1994
TATTERSShredded, tornin too many pieces,I've nothing left to give.
Those who have lived with... -- Hebrews 5:12-6:1, 9-12 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 1994
Those who have lived with autistic children have learned a special kind of patience and live with a
Those who are generous are... -- Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 1994
"Those who are generous are blessed, ..." A woman stopped by the pastor's office with some good
A television profile of Frank... -- James 5:1-6 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 1994
A television profile of Frank Sinatra showed him enjoying his large collection of model railroads.
The astronauts who have viewed... -- Ephesians 1:3-14 -- 1994
The astronauts who have viewed Earth from space have a very different perspective than do we who ha
The United States has one... -- Mark 1:4-11 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 1994
The United States has one of the most stable governments on the face of the earth.
Following some good and not... -- Mark 1:14-20 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 1994
Following some good and not-so-good experiences in public schools, the young man was sent off to his
A group of boys was... -- Colossians 3:1-4 -- Easter Day - B -- 1994
A group of boys was playing a pick-up game of baseball one summer.
I find that I can... -- John 20:19-31 -- Second Sunday of Easter - B -- 1994
I find that I can easily identify with Thomas.
Jesse was anxious to tell... -- John 6:4-15 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 1994
Jesse was anxious to tell someone what he had seen.
Enshrined in the Church of... -- Mark 14:1--15:47 -- Passion Sunday - B -- 1994
Enshrined in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is Calvary, the place where Jesus died on
It's a great story and... -- John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 1994
It's a great story and probably true.
A certain carpenter hated to... -- 2 Corinthians 4:5-12 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - B -- 1994
A certain carpenter hated to dress up. He didn't even own a suit. Then his wife died.
When our twin granddaughters and... -- Mark 4:26-34 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - B -- 1994
When our twin granddaughters and their parents came a very long distance to visit us, they were stil
Charlton Heston had to learn... -- Mark 4:35-41 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 1994
Charlton Heston had to learn something new for the 1967 movie, Counterpoint.

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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
and more...
Pentecost
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160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
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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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