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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

NULL -- Luke 7:11-17 -- Tim Smith -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C -- 2010
When Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife, Mary Beth, lost their five-year-old daught
NULL -- 1 Kings 17:1-24, Galatians 1:11-24, Luke 7:11-17 -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C -- 2010
Illustrations1 Kings 17:1-24
NULL -- 1 Kings 21:1-10 (11-14) 15-21a -- Leah Thompson -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 2010
An old folk song tells the story of a bloody battle between valley people and mountain folk.
NULL -- 1 Kings 21:1-10 (11-14) 15-21a -- Derl G. Keefer -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 2010
Visiting Israel was one of the highlights of my pastoral ministry.
NULL -- Galatians 2:15-21 -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 2010
Verna along with her mother was shopping at local specialty shops in a revitalized downtown area of
NULL -- Galatians 2:15-21 -- Craig Kelly -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 2010
One of my all-time favorite movie scenes is in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.
NULL -- Galatians 2:15-21 -- Ron Love -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 2010
In the year 1510, Martin Luther made a pilgrimage to Rome.
NULL -- Luke 7:36--8:3 -- Leah Thompson -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 2010
Persepolis is an autobiographical graphic novel about Marjane Satrapi, a woman who grew up in Iran a
NULL -- 1 Kings 21:1-10 (11-14) 15-21a, Galatians 2:15-21, Luke 7:36--8:3 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 2010
Illustrations1 Kings 21:1-10 (11-14) 15-21a
NULL -- 1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7) 8-15a -- Craig Kelly -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 2010
In certain Hollywood movies, such as Oh, God! and Bruce Almighty, the writers had God
NULL -- 1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7) 8-15a -- Ron Love -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 2010
"That was a miracle." Ronald Reagan was 11 years old in the winter of 1921-1922.
NULL -- 1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7) 8-15a -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 2010
Lynn recalls seeing a cartoon in a magazine with a small child asking, "Do caterpillars know they're
NULL -- Galatians 3:23-29 -- Leah Thompson -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 2010
As a beginning piano student, you get used to your teacher correcting you at every step.
NULL -- Galatians 3:23-29 -- Derl G. Keefer -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 2010
An apocryphal story is told about an agnostic who found himself in trouble.
NULL -- Luke 8:26-39 -- Tim Smith -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 2010
It had been several years since Patricia had been in contact with any of her family.
NULL -- Luke 8:26-39 -- Ron Love -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 2010
Bill had soldiered through the ravages of World War I.
NULL -- Luke 8:26-39 -- Craig Kelly -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 2010
While one might think that most important aspect of running a business or a corporation is accountin
NULL -- 1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7) 8-15a, Galatians 3:23-29, Luke 8:26-39 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 2010
Illustrations1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7) 8-15a
NULL -- 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14 -- Leah Thompson -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C -- 2010
The musical Side Show is about Violet and Daisy, Siamese twins from a freak show.
NULL -- 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14 -- Derl G. Keefer -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C -- 2010
I was in my sophomore year of high school in Kansas City when Lamar Hunt, owner of the Dallas franch
NULL -- Galatians 5:1, 13-25 -- Craig Kelly -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C -- 2010
When a massive earthquake hit the impoverished nation of Haiti some time back, the response to the c
NULL -- Galatians 5:1, 13-25 -- Tim Smith -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C -- 2010
Tensions were running high among members of the family.
NULL -- Galatians 5:1, 13-25 -- Ron Love -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C -- 2010
George Burns and Gracie Allen moved to a new residence in Hollywood.
NULL -- Luke 9:51-62 -- Leah Thompson -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C -- 2010
Charlotte and Nancy's friend Tess was a fashion disaster.
NULL -- 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14, Galatians 5:1, 13-25, Luke 9:51-62 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C -- 2010
Illustrations2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14

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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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